A ceremony has been held in Basra to mark the official end of the six-year British military mission in Iraq.

 

 

 

UK combat operations ended as 20th Armoured Brigade took part in a flag-lowering ceremony with a US brigade.

 

 

 

Gordon Brown said the operation in Iraq had been a "success story" because of UK troops' efforts.

 

 

 

But the Stop the War Coalition said it had been a disaster and the 179 British military deaths were made more acute by the pointlessness of the UK presence.

 

 

 

Mr Brown, who held talks with Iraqi prime minister Nouri Maliki in Downing Street, said: "Today Iraq is a success story.

 

 

 

"We owe much of that to the efforts of British troops. Our mission has not always been an easy one, many have said that we would fail.

 

 

 

I think when the history is written of this campaign, they will say of the British military: 'We did a superb job'

 

 

 

"Britain can be proud of our legacy that we leave there."

 

 

 

Mr Maliki said: "There are people in Iraq who want the government to fail but our army and armed forces are ready to face these challenges."

 

 

 

Although Britain may be pulling its troops out of Iraq a month ahead of schedule, the row over why they were sent there in the first place in support of a US-led invasion looks set to continue.

 

 

 

Opposition leader David Cameron called for an immediate full inquiry into the Iraq war, similar to the one carried out by the Franks Committee into the Falklands conflict.

 

 

 

He said: "After years of foot-dragging, I believe it is the time for the government to announce a proper Franks-style inquiry.

 

 

 

"Instead of starting in many months' time, it should start right now.

 

 

 

"There are vital lessons to learn and we need to learn them rapidly and the only justification for delay can, I'm afraid, be a political one."

 

 

 

In Basra itself, Defence Secretary John Hutton attended a memorial service for the military personnel killed in the conflict.

 

 

 

 

 

The focus was a memorial wall featuring the names of the 234 UK and foreign troops and civilians who lost their lives under British command in Iraq.

 

 

 

The names of those who died, including Italian, Dutch, Danish, American and Romanian troops, were read out before the Last Post was sounded and prayers said.

 

 

 

Then there was a loud roar in the sky as a Tornado aircraft flew over in tribute.

 

 

 

Those attending the service were adamant the British presence in Basra had been a force for good.

 

 

 

Lt Col Edward Chamberlain, commanding officer of Iraq-based battalion 5 Rifles, said: "We've been slowly working, as part of a coalition together over the six years, to achieve an end-state which is an Iraq which is secure, happy, at peace with itself and its neighbours.

 

 

 

"We're slowly but surely transitioning towards that."

 

 

 

Mr Hutton said British troops had fought "a long and hard campaign".

 

 

 

He added: "There's been no question about that, and we've paid a very high price.

 

 

 

Gordon Brown: 'Today Iraq is a success story'

 

 

 

"But I think when the history is written of this campaign, they will say of the British military: 'We did a superb job'."

 

 

 

British forces began their official pull-out last month when the UK's commander in the south of the country, Maj Gen Andy Salmon, handed over to a US general.

 

 

 

The civilian death toll in Basra as a result of the conflict is estimated at between 3,302 and 3,766, according to data from the Iraq Body Count.

 

 

 

Asked about the UK presence in Iraq, the country's president, Jalal Talabani, told BBC News that the mission had been one of liberation.

 

 

 

"In the past the British forces came to occupy against the will of the Iraqi people," he said.

 

 

 

"This time they came here to liberate Iraqi people from the worst kind of dictatorship."

 

 

 

But the UK Stop the War Coalition said: "The British soldiers will leave Basra in a much worse condition than they found it, its population depleted and demoralised, its infrastructure devastated."

 

 

 

BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt says there is a sense of relief for many British servicemen and women that their final tour of Iraq is ending.

 

 

 

Some were serving on their fourth tour, taking them away from home for two years out of the last six.

 

 

 

But the BBC's John Simpson says many ordinary Iraqis in Basra are worried that the Americans who will replace them will be much more aggressive.

 

 

 

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8026136.stm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All I can say is that I hope the US follows Britain's lead soon.

About time Is all I can say, how is it it takes 6 years to stabilize Iraq, yet both world wars were fought in less time, not added together obviously.

 

 

 

At least the death toll is relatively low for British soldiers and those associated, only 234. Still though, 234 shouldn't be dead at all if Tony Blair had the balls to say no to Bush.

Thought they pulled out forever ago. Thought we were just left with our Dutch budaroonies?

 

 

 

Ah, whatever. Coolio.

 

 

 

About time Is all I can say, how is it it takes 6 years to stabilize Iraq, yet both world wars were fought in less time, not added together obviously.

 

Whoa, that is interesting. Although the death tolls are a big difference:

 

World War I: 1914-1918, over 15 million deaths.

 

World War II: 1939-1945, some 60 million deaths.

 

Iraq "war": 2003-present, between 90,000 and a million deaths. We'll say 500,000 to stay on the safe side.

 

 

 

That is crazy. Sometimes the worst wars are just implosions of "OH SHI" while the ones that get a lot more attention drag on for quite some time. Plus, they usually get more negativity attached to them.

I didn't read the article, but like Krankred1 said, its about time. Now maybe the US will pull our troops, or reconsider it again, and stop spending a [developmentally delayed]ed amount of money on a forgotten war, and spend it fixing our own country. OR we could do what Britain is doing and focus our attention on the oil in the Persian Gulf (read that on the nytimes.com).. Spoils of "victory" if you choice to call it that.

About time Is all I can say, how is it it takes 6 years to stabilize Iraq, yet both world wars were fought in less time, not added together obviously.

 

 

 

At least the death toll is relatively low for British soldiers and those associated, only 234. Still though, 234 shouldn't be dead at all if Tony Blair had the balls to say no to Bush.

 

you don't really know that much do you?

About time Is all I can say, how is it it takes 6 years to stabilize Iraq, yet both world wars were fought in less time, not added together obviously.

 

 

 

At least the death toll is relatively low for British soldiers and those associated, only 234. Still though, 234 shouldn't be dead at all if Tony Blair had the balls to say no to Bush.

 

you don't really know that much do you?

 

 

 

Care to point out then what you I think I don't know much about instead of trying to make me look ignorant on the matter? I've been following it since the start, I'd consider myself pretty knowledgeable on the matter.

The fact that you think Tony Blair brown-nosing bush was the defining factor in Britain going to war is quite special tbh.

The fact that you think Tony Blair brown-nosing bush was the defining factor in Britain going to war is quite special tbh.

 

 

 

Well there's one of two reasons the UK was involved:

 

 

 

Tony Blair had oil and corporate interests there like they had in the 1950's regarding Iran

 

 

 

or

 

 

 

He was Bush's asskisser.

 

 

 

I mean, I think he's the latter, but that doesn't stop him from being the former, either. Tony Blair is a hack and just as criminal as Bush, although he didn't have to sell an illegal invasion to the UN, or torture false confessions to use as evidence that we need to go to war with Iraq over 9/11.

 

 

 

Congratulations, Brits. We'll be out by 2011 (I hope).

well since the US is slowly winding down operations this was going to happen eventually.

Irak should never have happened. The actual war that lasted maybe a month was already controversial, but the after-war was worse (which, as history proved, is FAR more important than the actual war). The reason why Stalin was so successful was because we was fighting WW3 while everyone else was still worried about WW2.

 

 

 

With that in mind, think about how the rebels that are currently annoying the armies stationed there got all their weapons? It was because after winning the war, nobody cared about the Iraqi ammunition warehouses and the rebels raided them. If anybody had made preparations for the after-war, everybody would have been home within a year.

All I can say is: About bloody time. Ah well, I think the clear up of the operation was a job well done by the British Army, even if the pretences for going in were not valid. Blame Tony and his crew for that.

I think it's a shame the war got so little support. The way it was conducted was a questionable of course, and the government was condescending and insulting in the way it justified the war to the public (the moral obligation should have been enough), but necessary and noble work was done in Iraq. This was very much a continuation of the Gulf conflict of the early 90's, and for Britain not to have been involved would have been a disgrace.

The fact that you think Tony Blair brown-nosing bush was the defining factor in Britain going to war is quite special tbh.

 

 

 

There's 2 reasons, already pointed out by Magekillr, a possible potential hold in the worlds most valuble asset and also, Bush practically had him on a leash.

 

 

 

It was hardly just to liberate the Iraqi people from a genocide and tyrant of a leader, if so he should be in roughly 5-10 other countries at least by that logic.

US is currently pulling combat troops out and slowing down combat ops. Had a buddy get his deployment chopped by 3 months because Infantry troops arn't needed there anymore. All combat operations will cease in 2010. The whole military itself will probably be gone by 2011. Currently, OPs and CPs are being pulled back into the FOB's (Forward operating bases) and the FOBs are being packed up to move back further. Trust me its all being packed up so its only a matter of time. I'll be going over in August to do more packing for the Marine Corps.

 

 

 

However, what people don't realize a lot is that even with ending operations in Iraq, troops and equipment are being diverted to Afghanistan in force. Theres no sign of that ending any time soon.

Not a moment too soon :thumbup: Sure good things were done in the war, Saddam Hussein was hardly the most benevolent of leaders, but they did a great job of finding the WMDs.