Brits gloomy about Iraq legacy on fifth anniversary
Thursday, 20 Mar 2008 20:20
Five years have passed since the March 2003 invasion
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The vast majority of Britons believe the UK's support for the 2003 Iraq invasion has damaged its global standing, an inthenews.co.uk poll suggests.
Only one in 20 respondents said they believed Tony Blair's support for the US-led invasion had not had a negative impact on international perceptions of Britain.
Frustration with the lack of progress in Iraq since the invasion, the fifth anniversary of which is being marked today, is reflected in US president George Bush placed top of the blame list for the poor security and humanitarian conditions in Iraq.
Around half the respondents said Mr Bush was responsible, compared to 35 per cent for terrorist group al-Qaida and 15 per cent who pointed the finger at neighbouring Iran.
Three-quarters said they were initially opposed to the war in Iraq, meaning 20 per cent of those who supported the invasion also acknowledge the deterioration in Britain's international reputation.
There also remains deep uncertainty about future prospects for the unstable Middle Eastern country. Respondents were roughly divided about whether or not the security and humanitarian situations will improve in the next year.
The UK military presence in Iraq is due to be cut down from 5,500 in autumn 2000 to 2,500 this spring, with Gordon Brown insisting British forces have made a real difference on the ground to hand over power to Iraqi authorities.
But, amid doubts about the resurgence of different factions taking over Basra city and province, our survey suggests only two in five Britons believe UK forces have helped improve security in Iraq.