With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

U.K. Service of Commemoration Marks End of Iraq War

At a memorial service honoring Britons who died during the Iraq war, the Archbishop of Canterbury said Friday it will take time for historians and moralists to decide if the conflict was justified.

Rowan Williams — an outspoken critic of Britain's role in the war — told a congregation at St. Paul's Cathedral that there are lessons to be learned from it. His audience included Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Iraq President Jalal Talabani, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, top officers in the British military, veterans of the war, and families of British soldiers killed there.

In June, Brown announced an inquiry to examine decisions made before, during, and after the operation.

Read entire article at AP