Stephen White: Twenty years on, what’s been achieved since Iraq invasion?

The initial invasion of Iraq lasted just over one month, including 26 days of major combat operations carried out by a combined multi-national force led by the United States. Three weeks later, on 9th April, I was in London on business, and watched TV images of Saddam Hussein’s statue being toppled in Firdaus Square, downtown Baghdad.

Then, on 14th July, after commanding Drumcree and related local events, I was flown into Kuwait and driven onwards into Basra, as the newly appointed Director of Law and Order, Southern Iraq. A UK police Deputy Chief Constable’s uniform was waiting for me – along with body armour and a new Glock pistol with 50 rounds of ammunition.

I had been selected by the UK’s then Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and sent to Basra to support US (Bagdad-based) efforts to reconstruct the whole country. My new role entailed supporting military efforts to re-establish rule of law with the aim of eventually taking them over.

My task was to set up and lead a 1,500 strong International Police Task Force in addition to overseeing efforts to support the criminal courts and establish modern prison facilities – in all of Iraq’s southern provinces. I was accompanied by two MOD police officers (a Chief Superintendent and an Inspector).

Five months later, apart from a small detachment of Danish Police who were designing training courses in Basra, these two were my only police resources. The UK had over 9,000 troops in the region and a large number of military police (supported by those from many other NATO and some non-NATO forces). I had worked with senior British Army colleagues in Northern Ireland for a large part of my career and to say that they were disappointed with civil policing’s response to the unfolding crisis would be the understatement of the year.

What happened during my six months there has been well documented in numerous media interviews and reports, a BBC NI Spotlight documentary “The Basra Beat”, published research papers and, eventually, my lengthy statement to the “Iraq Inquiry”.

I’ve never seen myself as a “whistleblower” but, as my dear mother used to say to me, “Son, the truth is easily defended”. Sadly, some people did not want to hear the truth. In Baghdad, and back in London, my assessment of the steeply declining security situation and appeals for immediate police reinforcements failed to prompt the necessary responses. It appeared to me that those in power were in denial and anything faintly resembling “bad news” was very unwelcome. It was lonely time and I remember with fondness those few people who stood by me.

Years later, the failure to plan for the post-invasion reconstruction phase was sadly laid bare. Following my lengthy appearance in the witness box the Inquiry’s Chairman, the late Sir John Chilcot, described my evidence as a “treasure trove”. I explained in detail how the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of people liberated from Saddam’s murderous and cruel oppression was squandered. Chilcot agreed and concluded in his report that “there were ‘wholly inadequate’ plans in place for the aftermath of the Iraq invasion.”

After concluding my police service, I was fortunate to make some further contributions to life in Iraq – this time by designing and leading (for a total of five years) the European Union’s rule of law intervention in Iraq as Head of the “EUJUST LEX” Mission and as Special Adviser to the EU’s Secretary General. In total we trained over 3,000 senior police officers, judiciary and penitentiary officials. The work was recognised with international awards.

This week I have been in the region once again, in my role as a security sector consultant attending a world security summit. I was anxious to hear what progress had been made in Iraq since I was last there almost ten years ago. The voices that really matter are Iraqi ones and I was devastated to hear Iraqi officials and credible commentators conclude, emphatically, that the invasion had not been worth it.

I was also amazed and dismayed to hear US protagonists, previously in denial, now admitting that post-invasion planning had been fatally flawed. With hindsight they now admitted that they had adopted an “expeditionary” approach to the war – with little or no planning for what would happen after the fighting.

Those who removed Saddam now admit that they had little knowledge and understanding of Iraq’s history, culture, context and failed woefully to prepare for the enormous and complex challenge they would face.

The list of problems now facing the country includes institutional dysfunctionality, widescale corruption and a political landscape dominated by sectarian, polarised political parties each with their own armed militias. The production and usage of illegal drugs in Iraq is a relatively new threat now being highlighted. At a basic level there is poverty, lack of water in the South, farmlands being abandoned, people moving to already overcrowded cities, thousands living in refugee camps and many (such as three thousand Yezidi women) still missing after the ISIS conflict.

There is a sense of hopelessness and anger (mostly aimed towards the US – now accused of abandoning Iraq) as the country struggles. Iraq should be a wealthy country. It holds much of the world’s oil and gas reserves, and one only has to look at those other oil-rich countries nearby for a glimpse of what could be in terms of investment, infrastructure and wealth shared for the benefit of all the population.

Sadly, the whole region is unstable and the political vacuum in Iraq is contributing to it – with many fearing how that vacuum will be filled. US influence is dwindling and Iran, Turkey, China and other countries in the region are becoming ever more involved. Meantime, for the ordinary men and women of Iraq, the silent majority, their lives have not been improved.

As for me, I think about those people from Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK who I worked with on a daily basis and who lost their lives out there – some when I was there and others after I had left. I also feel so sorry for all those Iraqis who, in the aftermath of March 2003’s invasion, literally danced in the streets. They were full of optimism, hope and joy – but no longer is this the case.

Was it worth it? I believe that is always right to help your fellow man at a time of need – but lessons must be learned if the same disasters are not to be repeated over and over. To start a war seems easy – it is what happens next that poses the real challenge.

Future international responses must be planned, properly resourced, well-led and - as an absolute priority – focus on the needs and interests of the local populace. To leave them in a worse-off position is criminal, a failure of the highest order.

Stephen White is a security sector consultant and was a guest at last week’s Global Security Summit. He is also the Chairman of The Royal Ulster Constabulary GC Foundation.