Question 1

Why are Commonwealth war cemeteries in Iraq in such a poor condition?

Accepted Answer

Over 50 years of neglect and lack of investment by the CWGC is the primary reason for the Commonwealth cemeteries and memorials in Iraq to be in the condition they are. From the early 1960s onward, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) progressively reduced its operational presence in Iraq, formally withdrawing by 1990 but effectively ceased proper maintenance and management many years earlier.

Iraq has also of course suffered many decades of conflict and this has of course also contributed to the state of the sites but this is not the primary reason for their condition.

Question 2

Is this deterioration the result of local disrespect or vandalism?

Accepted Answer

No. Attributing the condition of these sites to local disrespect is inaccurate and risks reinforcing cultural stereotypes. The deterioration of Commonwealth cemeteries in Iraq is best understood as the outcome of long-term neglect, limited access, and the absence of sustained institutional stewardship, rather than deliberate actions by local communities. Of course there have been instances of politically motivated damage such as the destruction of Amara Indian Forces Cemetery gatehouse in 2004 by militants and localised vandalism - as there are regularly in the UK of war cemeteries and monuments, but there is no evidence of any sort of systematic attempt to degrade these sites.

The reason Amara British Cemetery is largely intact (the memorial wall commemorates almost 5,000 casualties from WW1 and 1 from Op Telic) is solely due to the local caretaker whose family has managed the site since 1962 and were for many years not paid to do so.

Conversely Basra War Cemetery's memorial panels were removed by the British Army in 2003 and stored at their base in the expectation of a CWGC led renovation which never came. These irreplaceable panels were then abandoned on the withdrawal from Iraq in 2009 - whereabouts unknown.

Question 3

Who is responsible for maintaining Commonwealth war cemeteries overseas?

Accepted Answer

Responsibility rests with Commonwealth governments, exercised through the CWGC. While the CWGC has delivered exemplary care for war cemeteries in many countries, its responsibility extends equally to all registered sites, including those in Iraq, regardless of difficulty or political context.

Question 4

Were these cemeteries properly maintained in the past?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Commonwealth cemeteries in Iraq were well maintained for decades up to the mid 1960s. Their decline coincides with the gradual withdrawal of CWGC oversight and the onset of sustained regional conflict. Whilst some work has been done in recent years (renovations at Kut, Habbaniya, site clearance at Mosul and some replacement headstones at Baghdad Northgate) this work has been poorly executed for the most part (Habbaniya is an exception) and constitutes less than 2% of casualties in Iraq. The major cemeteries - Amara, Baghdad Northgate, Basra and Basra Memorial have not seen any substantive effort by the CWGC to renovate or maintain them to the level expected or that would be tolerated in a more visible European site since the 1960s.

Question 5

What role did recent conflicts play?

Accepted Answer

Recent conflicts significantly affected access, security, and infrastructure. However, conflict alone does not fully explain the current condition of these sites. The absence of contingency planning, transparent reporting, and long-term adaptive strategies contributed materially to their decline.

Question 6

Is it accurate to say these sites were abandoned?

Accepted Answer

Some sites such as Khanaqin were formally abandoned (Khanaqin in the 1960s with a memorial wall built at Baghdad Northgate). Others have not been formally abandoned but from a practical standpoint have been. While records and legal responsibility remained with the CWGC, physical stewardship, oversight, and effective maintenance were absent for extended periods. This gap allowed deterioration to accelerate and created conditions in which several sites have been progressively absorbed into surrounding urban and community life such as Amara Indian Forces Cemetery and Basra War Cemetery.

Question 7

Is safety a valid reason for inaction by the CWGC?

Accepted Answer

No - for two primary reasons:

1. Since 1980 and the start of the Iran/Iraq war there have been multiple conflicts in Iraq both internal and external - Saddam's genocide against the Kurds, the first and second gulf war and most recently the war against ISIS has meant that anyone in the West has heard little about the country other than war for over 40 years. It's not surprising therefore that concerns about safety and security are the first thing most people will think about when Iraq is mentioned. Many governments (UK included) still include Iraq on their travel advisory lists and this does mean that many generic travel insurance policies will automatically exclude it. However there are thousands of international companies and organisations (including BP and the British Museum) active in Iraq and hundreds of thousands of expats working there. Thousands of tourists from all over the world visit Iraq and it's increasing substantially each year - even the Daily Mail covered it. With so many international organisations working in Iraq across education, healthcare, archaeology and commerce there is no reason the CWGC cannot also do so and in fact they did visit Basra in 2018.

2. Whilst having CWGC staff regularly visit Iraq would be ideal given their experience and expertise it is not a necessity. This is especially true as regards managing basic renovations, horticulture and site management. There are many local companies already working with international organisations in the renovation of sensitive historical and archaeological sites (two churches in Basra and Mosul were renovated in the last few years) and these can be managed remotely and with the assistance of commonwealth embassy staff there. The CWGC has contracts with a few individuals and companies in Iraq already in place but these have largely been ineffective due to a lack of proper management and oversight.

Question 8

What happened to memorial panels and headstones from Basra War Cemetery?

Accepted Answer

The British Army (19 Mech Brigade 209 HQ and Signal Squadron) removed the memorial wall panels and remaining gravestones including several hundred new ones kept in storage on the Indian Cemetery side awaiting installation. These were stored at Basra Palace for safekeeping and were moved in shipping containers to Shaiba Airbase in 2007. These were believed to have been abandoned on the pull out of Iraq in 2009. The whereabouts or fate of these is not known. Enquiries with the MOD are ongoing.

Question 9

Why can't we just "bring them home", is repatriation a viable solution?

Accepted Answer

No. The legal, ethical, logistical, and financial complexity of recovering, identifying, transporting, and re-burying tens of thousands of remains would be immense. There are over 20 nationalities buried in these cemeteries and their respective governments, as well as Iraqi government and local municipalities consent would be required. Many of the Indian Army dead were not buried individually or identified making any accurate recovery impossible. Repatriation was never planned for, is not supported by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's mandate, and cannot be retrofitted decades later without causing further harm and inequality in commemoration.

Question 10

Does acknowledging failure in Iraq undermine the CWGC's broader work?

Accepted Answer

No. The CWGC's achievements elsewhere are substantial and widely respected. Acknowledging failure in Iraq strengthens, rather than weakens, institutional credibility by demonstrating accountability and commitment to improvement.

Question 11

What approach is needed going forward?

Accepted Answer

A realistic, site-specific approach that recognises historical context, present conditions, and local communities. This may include partial restoration, reinterpretation of sites as memorial or peace parks, improved documentation and signage, and meaningful community engagement. Attempting to impose uniform European cemetery models is neither practical nor historically accurate. A full operational return to Iraq is necessary and overcoming decades of inaction and lack of investment will necessarily take time. A full proposal is presented in the 2025 Field Report.

Question 12

What is at risk if no action is taken?

Accepted Answer

Without intervention, Commonwealth war cemeteries in Iraq will continue to deteriorate and may be irretrievably lost through urban development and environmental degradation. This would represent a permanent loss of historical record and commemoration.

Question 13

Where should public concern and advocacy be directed?

Accepted Answer

Proper care of these sites is impossible without the CWGC re-engaging after decades of inaction and lack of investment. The public can help influence the CWGC by helping to bring awareness and visibility of the state of these sites through social media advocacy.

Direct advocacy by writing to CWGC Board of Commissioners, local commemoration organisations and the CWGC leadership itself and to local MP's. Whilst the CWGC legally sits outside the UK government it is funded over 80% by the UK government and MOD and is effectively a publicly funded body fully absorbed into the UK political establishment.

Constructive advocacy requires holding responsible institutions to account, rather than assigning blame to local populations living with the consequences of prolonged conflict.

Question 14

Can I visit these sites myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The best place to start is by looking at Iraq tourism sites such as Iraq Travel Community on Facebook.

Many people visit Iraq without a tour guide. On our two visits we have used them and found it to be the most efficient way to travel, especially if you are going to more out of the way places as some of these sites are.

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