The British have invested Basra "on three sides" according to news reports. Against the complaints that such an almost-siege demonstrates that we didn't have enough troops present, I'll repost something I said at the start of the campaign, when the 3rd Infantry performed the first investment of the war:
The usual fashion is to invest on three sides, leaving open a way for an enemy to retreat. This isn't an act of kindness. The notion is to hit them until they are forced to abandon their defensive positions, withdrawing in the only way that is left available. Since you know which way they are going, you can set ambushes (or, in this case, use air power) to rout and slaughter them along the way. Recall here the "highway of death" from Gulf War I.
It is also possible to perform a complete encirclement. Usually this is not done, unless your forces are so superior that you do not fear having to defend all points against a breakout attempt. The three-sided investment allows for greater predictability of enemy actions.
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