British soldiers leaving Iraq

This video from Britain is called Anti War March – London, Feb 2003.

From the BBC:

21 May 2011 Last updated at 23:32 GMT

UK forces’ final farewell to Iraq

By Jonathan Marcus BBC Diplomatic Correspondent

Some eight years of a campaign that deeply divided British society are coming to an end.

At its peak Operation Telic, the UK’s contribution to the US-led invasion of Iraq that began in 2003, involved some 46,000 personnel.

Now, the departure of a small Royal Navy training team on Sunday brings this operation finally to a close.

Some 179 British personnel have lost their lives in Iraq, 136 as a result of hostile action.

Many more were injured.

Opposition heightened

After the downfall of President Saddam Hussein, the UK’s mission became one of securing the mainly Shia south, which threatened to erupt into factional conflict.

It was a controversial mission.

Many in the UK opposed the Iraq war from the outset. Opposition was only heightened when no Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were found, the ostensible reason for going to war in the first place.

But there were other questions too. Were the UK’s resources up to it? Were sufficient troops deployed and did they have the right equipment to do their job?

Many of the deficiencies of Britain’s Iraq operations have been discussed at length in evidence sessions to the Chilcot Inquiry into the origins and handling of the campaign. It is yet to complete its work.

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