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And so, finally, it ends. Six years after the Iraq invasion, British combat troops will be withdrawn by 31st July 2009. Britain’s involvement in Iraq during the first world war is recalled at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery outside Basra. Now, the latest engagement is also marked—by a redbrick memorial beside the airport that records the 178 British dead.
Two positions are clearly identifiable in discussions about what Iraq has meant for Britain. The government, the ministry of defence (MoD) and the armed forces argue that the withdrawal is a vindication of their strategy. In 2003, Britain intervened to depose a dictator and to establish a legitimate democracy for the benefit of all Iraqis. These aims have been achieved—although the cost in lives has been higher than anticipated.
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