British forces hand over Basra HQ building to Iraqis

The building, a former hotel sited near the main airport terminal, was handed over to the airport's director, Mr Ameer at a ceremony yesterday as part of the ongoing withdrawal of the British forces.

The building was an unfinished shell when coalition forces arrived in 2003 but the UK has since carried out millions of dollars worth of work to make the building habitable.

British Forces are now leaving Iraq in accordance with the UK's security agreement with the Iraqi government. The Airport authorities will now decide on any future use of the building

British Army Warrant Officer Brian Price was one of the first people into the building in 2003. He had not seen the building again until he returned this year with a specialist team of Army engineers to help remove military equipment in the building. He said:

"The hotel was a shell, with nothing but bare concrete walls and pillars. Looking at it today, I can see a huge improvement; I had never imagined it could look this good."

The building has been the work place of thousands of coalition personnel over the past six years as well as civilian staff from the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and UK Department for International Development. This building represented the very heart of the UK's efforts to make Iraq, and particularly Basra, a safer and more prosperous place.

Handing over the building, Group Captain Richard Hill RAF, the Deputy Commander of British Forces in Iraq said:

"Military and civilian personnel, both Coalition and Iraqi, have worked within the Hotel to achieve the conditions that have allowed us to celebrate many days just like this - the return of functions and facilities to Basrawis. Also, we should not forget that it is the very success of these joint efforts that has created the environment that has enabled the United Kingdom Forces to leave".

The building is now in a suitable condition to allow potential investors to adapt it to a number of uses. The UK has spent millions of dollars ensuring that the building's facilities are up to the appropriate building standards, and have added greatly to the building's value.

The British have added internal partitions, full suspended ceilings with lighting and plumbing as well as a complete electrical installation to the highest specification. Air conditioning is fitted throughout as is, emergency lighting, fire alarms, fire exits, carpets and interior finishing to the foyer.

Most of the work to bring the building up to its current condition has been done by British Army Royal Engineers, and their highly-specialised soldiers have been preparing the building for yesterday's handover.