This may be apocryphal but it’s too good not to repeat. UK defense minister Geoff Hoon has reportedly described Um Qasr as being “a city similar to Southampton" [a port town in the south of England], a remark that produced the following response from two British soldiers seen, apparently, on Sky News:
First soldier: "He’s either never been to Southampton or he’s never been to Um Qasr."
Second soldier: "There’s no beer, no prostitutes and people are shooting at us. It’s more like Portsmouth."