First, I want to welcome Bernie Kerik to the South Lawn, and to the Oval Office. We just had a fascinating discussion about what he did in Iraq, what he saw in Iraq. He can speak for himself. But let me characterize it this way, that he went to help the Iraqis organize a police force. He showed up at times of chaos and confusion. Because of his leadership, his knowledge and his experience, he was able to stand up a police force in Baghdad in a very quick period of time. I think he told me opened up 37 different precinct stations — 35 different precinct stations. They activated and trained 35,000 Iraqi police force. And that’s important because the ultimate solution to the security issues in Iraq is for the Iraqi citizens to manage their own affairs.

British troops battered down the main doors of Basra’s criminal police headquarters and freed two British soldiers detained earlier in the day while on an intelligence mission, Iraqi defense and interior ministry sources said.

The operation, in which the troops reportedly rammed the doors of the building with a vehicle, followed a shooting incident and riots in which two British armored vehicles were torched as their crews fled for safety.

An Iraqi defense ministry source indicated that 150 prisoners had fled the police headquarters after the British rammed down the door.

“A large force of British troops surrounded the police building, smashed down the main entrance with a vehicle, and freed the two Britons along with 150 prisoners,” the source said.

In London, the defence ministry confirmed the two soldiers had been released, but declined to comment on the Iraqi report of an attack on the police station.

“We’re certainly not denying it, but we’re not confirming it either,” a spokesman said.