What are British forces doing in Iraq?
British Armed Forces have been helping the Iraqis to secure and rebuild their country after years of neglect and conflict.
In 2009, UK forces in Iraq underwent a fundamental change of mission. UK combat operations were declared complete on 30 April 2009, and UK combat forces withdrew from the country prior to 31 July 2009 as previously agreed by the Iraqi and UK governments.
Our Prime Minister and PM Maliki agreed on 30 April 2009 that the UK and Iraq would have a long-term defence relationship.
The UK Government signed a bilateral defence Training and Maritime Support Agreement with the Government of Iraq on 6 June 2009, under which UK forces would continue to train the Iraqi Navy, and Royal Navy ships would continue to protect Iraq's offshore oil platforms. This agreement entered into force on 22 November 2009. Having been ratified by both the UK and Iraqi Parliaments.
Iraq's ability to rebuild its infrastructure and services after decades of neglect is heavily dependent on income from oil exports. And so it is vital that the Iraqi Navy quickly develops its capacity to protect their own territorial waters and offshore oil platforms from which 80% of their oil is exported.
Royal Navy personnel, alongside US colleagues, now play a crucial role in training the Iraq Navy, and until the Iraqi Navy is ready to assume full responsibility for the protection of Iraq's littoral infrastructure, Royal Navy warships will continue to patrol Iraqi territorial waters.
We also continue to assist the Iraqi Ministry of Defence in Baghdad to further professionalise its Iraqi Armed Forces as part of a wider NATO mission. The UK has taken the lead for assisting with the professional development of Iraq's officer corps.
Under what legal basis are British forces operating in Iraq?
The Iraqi government has asked us to continue to provide naval training and maritime support under a new government-to-government agreement; essentially a bilateral treaty.
The text of this agreement was approved in October by the Iraqi Council of Representatives and has been ratified by their Presidency Council.
The agreement came into force on 22 November 2009, following the conclusion of parliamentary procedures in both UK and Iraq. The agreement will last for one year.
Britsh Forces operating within NATO's Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I) operate under a separate Long Term Agreement between the Government of Iraq and NATO.
How long will British forces stay in Iraq?
In Basra, where the UK's combat division operated, the Iraqi authorities have lead responsibility for ensuring security; here our military tasks were completed last year.
The Prime Minister was therefore able to agree with Iraq's Prime Minister that our forces would drawdown by the end of July 2009. This drawdown was completed on time and in good order.
However, the partnership between the UK and Iraq will continue to take on new dimensions and will be strengthened through co-operation in a range of areas: economic, cultural, commercial and educational.
As part of this future relationship, the Iraqis have requested that we continue to provide specialist military training in Baghdad (through NATO), and mentoring of to the Iraqi Navy at the naval base in Umm Qasr.
We have therefore signed a one year training and maritime support agreement with Iraq, which also sees Royal Navy ships ensuring the protection Iraq's offshore oil platforms.
Security in Iraq
Today, violence is at its lowest level since 2003 and US forces are now planning to start their own drawdown in Iraq.
Following the expiry of UNSCR 1790 on 31 December 2008, the Government of Iraq now leads in maintaining security throughout Iraq, with US and UK military personnel focused on mentoring and supporting the Iraqi security forces.
Whilst still capable of appalling atrocities, Al Qaeda in Iraq has suffered repeated setbacks and indiscriminate terrorist attacks have lost it any sympathy it once enjoyed amongst some Iraqi communities.
This reflects the success of the UK and partner forces in training Iraqi troops to be able to deliver security on the streets, thereby allowing the Iraqi authorities to focus on tackling the key social challenges.
Over half a million Iraqi police and military personnel have been trained and equipped by Coalition Forces since 2004. The Coalition has also worked very closely with the Iraqi authorities to develop their Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Interior.
The Iraqi Police Service has made significant progress in its capability to maintain public order, investigate crimes and arrest suspects. The number of Iraqi units capable of conducting independent counter-insurgency operations is increasing steadily. There are now around 270,000 police officers trained and equipped nationwide, plus some 40,000 border enforcement personnel.
Security in Basra
In 2007, our presence in Basra was acting as a magnet for militia violence and as a propaganda tool for extreme nationalists. In consultation with the Iraqi Government and our coalition partners, we devised a strategy under which we made a calculation about the right moment for UK forces to withdraw from the centre of Basra - on our own terms and to our own time scales.
The Iraqi authorities took on responsibility for security and began to deliver an Iraqi-led security solution. General Petraeus, who personally approved the strategy, said at the time that it was 'a positive step on the path to Iraqi self-reliance'.
Under PM Maliki's leadership, the Iraqi Security Forces broke the power of the militias in Operation CHARGE OF THE KNIGHTS. The operation may not have taken quite the shape or timing that we expected, but with active UK and Coalition support, the training and determination of the Iraqi Security Forces won through and delivered improved security for the people of Basra.
The success of that operation is a vindication of the long-term strategy that we have pursued with our Iraqi partners.
Security is no longer the biggest concern for ordinary Basrawis. In a poll, they put security 15th on their list of issues of concern - well below issues such as employment, public utilities and corruption. As the Defence Select Committee noted in July 2008, 'the security situation in Basrah was a world away from what we saw last year.'
Peaceful Provincial Elections in January 2009 underline the move away from violence towards the ballot box.
What British Forces have achieved
British Forces have been concentrated in southern Iraq. Their key military tasks have been:
Security Force training: UK troops in the south of Iraq have trained over 22,000 policemen and 20,000 Iraqi soldiers since 2004; first as part of building up 10th Iraqi Army Division in south-eastern Iraq and, since 2007, training 14th Division in Basra. 10th Division has proved its military effectiveness, having been deployed up to Baghdad as part of Iraqi/US operations to combat Al Qa'eda and other insurgents.
We and the Iraqi authorities judge that the first stage of the general training of 14 Division's combat troops is now complete. All our training tasks - including headquarters and specialist training - were completed by May 2009.
Naval training: Under our new training and maritime support agreement with Iraq, Royal Navy ships will continue to patrol the Gulf area and to contribute to the defence of Iraqi territorial waters and oil platforms. With support from the UK-led Iraqi Training and Assistance Mission-Navy (ITAM-N), the new Iraqi Navy has made great strides from the broken force inherited from the previous regime.
Basra International Airport: We have also worked closely with the Iraqi civilian authorities to develop Basra International Airport which will be key to the ongoing economic development of Basra and southern Iraq. The airport handles some 4,000 passengers a month and is able to cope with significant surges; in December 2008 it proved itself able to handle around 5,000 pilgrims during the Hajj. Scheduled commercial services operate routinely to Baghdad, Jordan and the Gulf States.
The RAF was able formally to hand over control of the airport to the Iraqis on 1st January 2009, the same date as Iraq took back control of its sovereign airspace.
Britain's military task in Iraq
The UK combat mission in Basra was completed at the end of April 2009, and all associated UK troops withdrawn from Iraq.
The UK remains committed to a broad-based bilateral relationship with Iraq, with close co-operation in a range of areas: economic, cultural, commercial, educational as well as defence.
At the request of the Iraqi Government UK military personnel have returned to train the Iraqi Navy, and Royal Navy ships are protecting Iraq's offshore oil platforms which are so vital to their economy.
As well as this direct contribution, we provide training to Iraqi Armed Forces' officers as part of a wider NATO mission, which was subject to a separate NATO-Iraq agreement.
We also continue to offer places for Iraqi officers at UK-based defence training establishments; for example, young Iraqi officers have recently graduated with distinction from RAF Cranwell.
Between the start of operations in 2003 and 2009, 178 UK Service personnel and one MOD civilian have died on Operation Telic. We pay tribute to the sacrifice they made in service of their country, and to their family and friends.
Iraq's progress shows that their sacrifice has not been in vain.