Maysan Province has a rebellious history. Saddam was never able to bring it to heel and this was a key motivation for draining the marshes and displacing the Marsh Arabs. But even this draconian solution didn't pacify Maysan. For years, the Hussein regime maintained an occupying force of 20,000 troops there, partly because of the province's proximity to Iran and partly to suppress local guerrillas, who remained active right up to the American invasion.
When the American attack became imminent and Saddam pulled his troops out of the area to defend Baghdad, the local guerrillas immediately took control of the capital, Amarah, and installed their own government. The British -- in charge of Southern Iraq for the American-led Coalition Provisional Authority -- arrived five days later, and local residents greeted them as invaders with no business in town. According to Capt. Andy McLannahan, the British commander, the local attitude was, "What are you doing here?" As far as the locals were concerned, "it was they who ousted Hussein's forces, not the U.S. invasion." When the British imposed their authority and displaced the insurgent government, the residents were bitter. As UPI's Hess put it, "In the local eyes they had just traded one occupation for another."
