Charles in a photo with British troops in Iraq

BASRA, TEHRAN, February 9 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Under a shroud of secrecy, heir to the British throne Prince Charles flew into Iraq Sunday, February 8, in a morale-boosting visit to British troops occupying the southern city of Basra, a visit jeered by the city’s locals.

The Prince of Wales also paid a historic visit to Iran on Sunday, the first by a British royal since 1971.

Charles landed at Basra International Airport from Kuwait in a C130 Hercules at 1:05 pm (1005 GMT), and boarded a Chinook helicopter which ferried him to the Al-Faw palace, now used as the 20th Armored Brigade's headquarters, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). 

To reduce the security risk, details of Charles' trip were only allowed to be published after he had left the country, after a five-and-a-half hour visit, which was almost on a par with the Thanksgiving Day visit by U.S. President George W. Bush in November 2003. 

Shortly before he touched down, the sound of gunfire was heard over the city, where 10,000 British troops are based. 

"We don't normally take the prince to places as dangerous as this," a spokesman for Charles told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency.

"The troops need cheering up. Hopefully this will make a difference," he said.

Among the servicemen and women Charles visited were members of the Royal Regiment of Wales, the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment and the Army Air Corps -- regiments of which the prince is Colonel-in-Chief.

The prince swapped his dark beret for the maroon one of the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment to address the soldiers.

"What you're doing, many of you, training Iraqis to become almost as good a bunch of soldiers as you are, is again of enormous importance because this part of the world doesn't have much chance unless their armed force can learn a lot from your experience... not only in the military but in the hearts and minds," he told the soldiers.

Charles then put on civilian clothes to greet senior leaders of the Iraqi community including Basra's Governor Wael Abdul Latif and Archbishop Gabriel Kassab, the leader of the city's Christian minority.

He also met with the U.S. top administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, and Jeremy Greenstock, Britain's special representative in the country, to discuss reconstruction programs and the post-war situation.

Not Welcome

But his visit was jeered by Basra’s lay people, saying he would be welcomed if his troops were not occupying their motherland.

"He is here for his own benefit, not for Iraq's. This is all just superficial," teacher Zenab Mohammad, 30, told AFP as a British patrol drove past.

"He is coming to visit us while his forces are occupying us, he is not welcome here. If the situation was different, he would be welcomed."

Manual worker Kasim Muter hoped the royal visit would result in progress for Iraq.

"If he is coming here to change something about our conditions, that's great, he is welcome as an honored guest. But I suspect he's just here to make some deals about oil, something to benefit Britain," he said.

To Iran

Later on Sunday, the prince flew from Iraq to Tehran's Mehrabad airport, where he was met by British Ambassador Richard Dalton.

The trip marks the first visit to Iran by a British royal since 1971, when Queen Elizabeth's husband Prince Philip and her daughter Princess Anne attended the shah's celebrations of the 2,500th anniversary of the Peacock Throne, the BBC News Online reported.

On Monday, February 9, Blair is scheduled to hold a series of talks with President Mohammad Khatami before heading to the south-eastern city of Bam, which was devastated by an earthquake on December 26, which killed up to 50,000 people.

Andrew Dunn, of the British Embassy in Tehran, said the visit is a "completely non-political visit". 

"Prince Charles is patron of the British Red Cross and he is coming in that role," he said.

Mostapha Mohaghegh, director of International Affairs at the Iranian Red Crescent, who will meet the prince, told the BBC that Charles’ visit was a "unique opportunity" for the prince to see how the relief operation was working in Bam.  

He said 200,000 people would need help in the earthquake's aftermath in the months and years to come.

"This will be very useful and will have a positive effect," he said.

Relations between Iran and Britain have warmed in recent years and the prince's visit comes amid celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Islamic republic.

London and Tehran have had a rocky relationship since the 1979 Islamic revolution, typified by accusations of spying, tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions and mutual distrust. The two countries currently have full diplomatic ties.