As a steady procession of British diplomats, generals and government officials present evidence to the Chilcot inquiry on the Iraq war, the government in Baghdad is still struggling to deal with the consequences of their actions – and of their failures to act.
When Gordon Brown appointed Sir John Chilcot to identify the lessons that could be learnt from Britain’s involvement, he did so on the assumption that the conflict was over, that a line could be drawn under the most contentious international issue of the early 21st century. Like many in Whitehall, Mr Brown believed that coalition forces had succeeded in establishing a democratic government in Baghdad, and bringing an end to the violence that scarred the country in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein’s overthrow.
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