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Eight people are killed in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, after an explosion destroyed a house early Monday morning. Basra has seen numerous U.S. air strikes over the past two weeks after Iraqi security forces launched a crackdown on Shi'ite militias. The flaring of new violence comes as General David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker go before Congress this week to deliver their latest status report. Basra moved back in the spotlight last month after Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki launched a move into Basra, something US President George W. Bush called a defining moment. SOUNDBITE: President George W. Bush saying, (English) "Any government that presumes to represent the majority of people must confront criminal elements or people who think they can live outside the law and that's what taking place in Basra and in other parts of Iraq. " When Petraeus faces Congress, the questions will likely focus on the number of troops in Iraq. The US is in the midst of a limited drawdown in Iraq and expects to have about 140,000 troops there in late July. Cris Preble of the Cato Institute. SOUNDBITE: Cris Preble of the Cato Institute, saying, (English) "If he argues against further troop reductions beyond the 140,000 that we have now, he is going to have to explain why. If he approves of more troop reductions he will have to explain why not faster." Analysts say Petraeus is likely to tell Congress the U.S. military needs time to evaluate security conditions throughout Iraq before committing further large troop reductions in 2008. Democrats and other opponents of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, have latched onto the Basra fighting as a sign that the increase or "surge" of U.S. troops last year failed to move Iraqis any closer to security or political stability. SOUNDBITE: Cris Preble of the Cato Institute, saying, (English) "The problem again, for General Petraeus is over the course of the last two weeks, this cuts against the argument that security gains were being made and therefore you can't say that. On the other hand, there is a narrative that plays very well with the Republicans argument that 'See we can't leave because because if we do, Iraq will descend into chaos." Violence across Iraq dropped 60 percent after 30,000 extra U.S. troops became fully deployed last June. The reduced violence was supposed to create the calm needed for Iraqi politicians to pass laws seen by Washington as critical to long-term stability. But that progress has been slow and some analysts say could slow even more if the current violence continues. Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters COMPANIES MENTIONED: SYMBOLS: