Politics of retreat

The closure of Britain’s consulate in Basra marks the end of an inglorious episode in our military history. This ought to have been the city where Britain would forever be seen as the liberator, given that it was our troops who supplanted Saddam Hussein’s forces almost ten years ago. Instead, Basra’s darkest moments came after the invasion: death squads moved in to fill the security vacuum Britain left behind. Our government failed to commit enough resources to make Basra safe. The massacres, executions and tortures that followed Britain’s withdrawal were brought to an end only when the Iraqi army reinvaded Basra. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were so determined to present a narrative of success that they refused to admit to any setback.

The untold scandal of Iraq is not of the lies that took us in, but the lies told to get us out. Britain eventually justified withdrawal by pretending we were officially handing over to a peaceful Iraqi government and a brand new police force.