UK's involvement in Iraq still scrutinised

The war against Iraq started in March 2003, on the grounds that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction that could be deployed within 45 minutes. No weapons have been found in Iraq despite intensive investigation.

A British Iraqi protester holds up an Iraqi flag during a protest outside the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London after the publication of the Chilcot report into the Iraq war, Wednesday, July 6, 2016. The Iraq war was mounted on flawed intelligence,  executed with "wholly inadequate" planning and ended "a long way from success," according to a damning report released by the head of Britain's Iraq War inquiry.
AP

A British Iraqi protester holds up an Iraqi flag during a protest outside the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London after the publication of the Chilcot report into the Iraq war, Wednesday, July 6, 2016. The Iraq war was mounted on flawed intelligence, executed with "wholly inadequate" planning and ended "a long way from success," according to a damning report released by the head of Britain's Iraq War inquiry.

On March 20, 2003 the war against Iraq started with an air campaign, and it was swiftly followed by a land invasion led by the US and the UK.

The first phase of the operation was considered fast and efficient and quickly announced as a resounding success.

But what followed saw US and UK government statements concerning Iraqi weapons programmes discredited.

A document later nicknamed the 'dodgy dossier' was used to make the case for the war in Iraq. It stated that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction that could be deployed within 45 minutes.

However, no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq despite intensive investigation.

Even with the evidence presented as justification for intervention in Iraq, the UK saw a huge political demonstration against going to war.

Those who opposed the war now say they were vindicated.

TRT World's Sara Firth reports. 

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