Alistair Burt, a former Middle East minister, has said Iraq's leaders must take on the country's challenges and not simply hope that partners like the UK can play a greater role in the reconstruction of the state.
Almost 20 years after British troops took part in a coalition invasion of Iraq, Mr Burt said he is routinely asked why the UK government chooses to take a backseat role in the rebuilding of the nation and establishment of a post-Saddam democratic system. “I think it's perfectly clear now that the issue of the determination of the future of governance in Iraq will be quite properly in the hands of the Iraqi people and those who are elected and guiding them,” he said.
“It won't be in the hands of anyone from outside.”
The British Army maintains a presence in the country but this is solely in training capacity aimed at equipping local forces with the skills needed to prevent a resurgence of Isis.
In recent years and months Iraq has been blighted by a litany of issues including systemic corruption, high unemployment, poverty, mass protests and political crises.
Iraq’s parliament last month approved a new government set up by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, ending more than a year of deadlock. But challenges remain and despite Baghdad earning record oil income due to high crude prices, the country’s 42 million citizens live with many unknowns.
Mr Burt, who served as Middle East minister in the UK’s Foreign Office and international development minister from 2017 to 2019, pushed back against voices urging Britain to do more to alleviate Iraq's social and political problems.
Speaking at the Iraq Initiative conference at Chatham House, a London-based think tank, he argued against the theme of “it’s all our fault” and said it would not be Britain’s place to play a more central role.
He pointed to the series of demonstrations and civil disobedience that sprung up in 2019 in protest against corruption, political sectarianism, interventionism and lack of jobs. Mr Burt said the voices of the Iraqi people must be heard by the elite in Baghdad if the country is to move towards a promising future.
He suggested the UK’s role in Iraq today consists largely of encouraging elected officials to engage with Iraqis and listen to their concerns.
“Unless those voices are listened to, then the direction of governments will not be where Iraq needs to be and not be where Iraq will be secure,” he said. “[They are] the voices that need to be heard by government and that's what we’re doing.”
Jennifer Gavito, deputy assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs at the US Department of State, struck a similar tone to Mr Burt. She told the audience that although the US intends to play a role in the reconstruction of post-war Iraq for years to come, it cannot provide the political will for change so many Iraqis are crying out for.
The US mission in Iraq formally concluded in December 2021.
On the question of how Iraq’s problems can be addressed, she said “the answer lies with the Iraqis not with a imposed solution”.
“We have invested heavily in providing the Iraqi security forces with the training needed in order to take on the mantle of security for its own country,” she said. “Political will is something that as Alistair notes, we can't provide.”
Anti-government demonstrations in Iraq - in pictures
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Qualifier A, Muscat
(All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv)
Fixtures
Friday, February 18: 10am Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm Semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm Final
UAE squad:Ahmed Raza(captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
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DAY%20ONE%20RESULT
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Floyd Mayweather
- Height
- Weight
- Reach
- Record
Conor McGregor
- Height
- Weight
- Reach
- Record
SPECS
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Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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