Today's Pics - Thursday, 29th January 2009 (2)

British soldiers prepare to go out on a mission in Basra, 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad January 27, 2009. Picture taken January 27, 2009.

British soldiers sit inside their armoured vehicle before going out on a mission in Basra, 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad January 27, 2009.

British Soldier patrols along a street decorated with election posters for the forthcoming polls on January 29, 2009 in Basra, Iraq.

Iraqi children follow two British soldiers as they patrol for the last time outside the 50 Brigade MiTT (British Military Transition Team) at the Iraqi naval base in the Al Maqil district on January 29, 2009 in Basra, Iraq. Most British forces are being confined to their bases and all movements restricted in anticipitation of a peaceful election

Iraqi soldiers registers to vote at a polling station ahead of the scheduled elections this Saturday on January 28 2009 in Basra, Iraq. All Iraqi security forces, hospital patients and prison inmates were allowed to vote today ahead of the elections on January 31. Many areas in Iraq are preparing for provincial elections which are being closely watched as a way of evaluating how peaceful and stable the country now is. British forces, who are restricting all vehicle movements during the election period, are due to withdraw from Iraq's second city Basra later this year and the results will also determine how quickly the number of US troops serving in Iraq can be brought down too.

A U.S soldier from the 1-8 Infantry Battalion looks through the scope of his rifle to scan an area on top of a building in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, January 29, 2009.

Italian soldiers with the International Security Assistant Force (ISAF) stand guard during routine duty in front of the chief police's office in the city of Herat, province west of in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009. Over 2, 300 Italian soldiers are serving in Afghanistan in the frame of the NATO forces in Afghanistan.

A protester shouts anti-NATO slogans in Reikjavik January 27, 2009. NATO seminar on Security Prospects in the High North, hosted by the Icelandic Government will be held on Thursday. Reuters
The seven-color peace flag is not to be confused with the similar six-color Gay pride flag which does not have turquois, and has red at the top instead of the bottom.

GHAZNI, Afghanistan (Jan. 22, 2009) Cmdr. Timothy Callahan, commander, Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), speaks with Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, at a school construction site. The school is one of many projects designed to support the PRT mission of fostering economic development and building provincial capacity. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

Members of Division Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Gladiator, provide security for a joint investigation team in Kapisa province. The joint investigation team led by U.S. Forces Afghanistan was exploring allegations of possible civilian casualties during recent counter-insurgency operations to capture Taliban leaders who were operating in the area

Col. Greg Julian, U.S. Forces Afghanistan Public Affairs Officer, led an investigation team who met with villagers in Kapisa province. The joint Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Information, and USFOR-A investigation team explored allegations of possible civilian casualties after a recent mission to capture of Taliban leaders. Engaging the population is critical to successful counter-insurgency operations.

U.S. Army Col. Greg Julian, public affairs officer for the United States Forces, Afghanistan, leads an investigation team to meet with villagers in Tagab, Afghanistan, Jan. 27, 2009. The team worked with the Afghan ministeries of defense and information to explore allegations of possible civilian casualties after a recent mission to capture Taliban leaders. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. John Gay

An Iraqi Army colonel raises his right hand outside of the Zafraniyah polling site to show his purple index finger, a sign he voted during the “special” voting day of the provincial elections in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 28, 2009. The vote took place before the general provincial election, scheduled for Jan. 31, to accommodate Iraqi Security Forces, detainees, hospital patients and other special needs cases. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Douglas York

A British soldier rides an offroad vehicle during training in their camp in Basra, 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad January 27, 2009. Picture taken January 27, 2009.

British soldiers get into a Merlin helicopter as it prepares to leave Basra airbase where over 4000 British servicemen are still based on January 27, 2009 in Basra, Iraq. The British govrenment was today ordered by a UK information tribunal to release the minutes of Cabinet discussions on the Iraq war from 2003.