The news for the British in southern Iraq and for their American partners in peacekeeping is either bad or terrible. The unfortunate loss of life for the British forces and for Iraqi civilians represents far more trouble than any of the pre-war planners discussed publicly and likely more than they anticipated. It suggests that the United States and its remaining allies will be forced to extend their stay even as they lower their expectations.

There are now competing versions of what happened earlier this week that resulted in the deaths of six British military police and four Iraqi civilians. According to news reports, the British say the six were trying to train local police in the city of Majar al-Kabir when the station was attacked unprovoked. Version II has it that a demonstration by the suspected gunmen over the deaths of Iraqis at the hands of the British escalated and the attack began. British forces have since given civilian leaders of Majar al-Kabir a deadline for turning over the gunmen.

If the Iraqi version of this is true, then the British are more often in skirmishes and are facing more hostility than has been reported, which is not good. If the British version – the seemingly unprovoked attack -is true, the coalition forces are enraging Iraqis without even knowing it, which is worse. Either way, the spread of violence in the southern part of the country – U.S. forces have been encountering regular resistance in the north and around Baghdad – is a disturbing event. It was accompanied Tuesday by shooting battles in three other parts of Iraq.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said that supporters of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party remained active, and his defense secretary said sending more troops was a possibility and that police may wear more armor as a result of the battle. But these seem like the least possible response to a pattern of counterattack, a rise in violence from religious fundamentalists and increasing doubts that the coalition will be able to provide living necessities and the framework of a stable government.

Congress is slowly losing its fear of demanding fuller explanations about Iraq from the White House. This should be encouraged. The cost of losing Iraq to chaos is too great for even the most politically motivated to wish it, so both political parties in Congress need to assert a large role for themselves in expressing where the United States goes from here. The British will likely join them on this, as well.