When he stopped his car at a traffic light in Basra, Bassam Rady noticed the motorbike with two riders on it passed by him slowly. Suddenly the bike turned round and Mr. Rady, feeling dangerous, tried to drive off. Before he could, a man on the back of the bike took out a gun from his jacket and fired. The bullet went through the windscreen and just missed him. As he sped away another shot was fired, but missed the car.  Mr. Rady was an interpreter for British army in Iraq. As such, his life is in danger from the militia that once controlled the Iraqi city and is now returning.  More than a year ago Iraqi soldiers, backed by US, brought peace and stability to Basra by driving militants over the Iranian border in an operation called Charge of the Knights.  According to local estimates, however, about half have returned. Although they have not become as active as before, the militants are trying to shoot Iraqi citizens who worked with British. Most in danger are translators such as Mr. Rady.  The 31-year-old father worked with soldiers on dangerous missions but was refused resettlement in Britain at the end of his employment. He worked with nine translators. Seven of them have been killed.  "I'm like a cancer patient -- now that the militia is back, my family is just waiting for me to die," Mr. Rady said. "I see reports in the media that Basra is safe but it's not true. I know these militia people. I went to school with some of them. I didn't see them for a year but now they are around again. They have told me, 'Your day will come soon'." He takes security precautions and never follows a routine. This means that he cannot work because that would give the militants a better chance of success.  Militiamen belonging to the alMahdi Army took control of Basra between 2004 and 2007 with other Shia fighters. They enforced strict Islamic rules at the same time as running criminal rackets. British army was unable or unwilling to fight back and eventually went back to their base at the airport. This passage may come from_.
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