Basra International Airport is the second largest international airport in Iraq and is located in the Southern city of Basra. In a ceremony on 1st January 2009, British troops handed over control of the airport back to the Iraqi state. The handover is a very significant event in the steps to Iraqi nation being free of a foreign military presence.
Why is Basra Airport Significant?
The airport has been a major standing area for the coalition forces in Iraq and has been key to the war effort due to allowing supplies to be flown in for a large portion of Southern Iraq.
The airport had been a key base for both British and US soldiers in the country, and the handover illustrates an important step to the withdrawal from Iraq which is due to take place by July 2009. A number of military advisors are expected to remain in Iraq after the troop withdrawal to aid the Iraqi government.
Why Are the British Handing the Airport Back to Iraq?
The handover comes after the UN mandate, which was made after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, ran out. Although the mandate has expired, United Kingdom and United States' troops will remain in the country under a new deal. Barack Obama, the US President-elect has promised that US troops will be withdrawn from Iraq in the next sixteen months.
The move comes in conjunction with the handing over of the Green Zone by US troops. The Green Zone is a ten square kilometre area in the centre of Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq which has been occupied by US forces since the initial invasion in 2003.
The handover of the airport comes six years after the invasion of Iraq during which 178 British soldiers have died.
Now What Will Happen to the Airport?
The airport, which has been accepting commercial flights during the occupation is going to be dealing with both military and commercial flights. The military flights will now be supervised by Iraqi civilians. Iraqi staff have been operating the airport for the last couple of months with minimal assistance from the coalition forces.
Basra, known for its plentiful oil supplies, is the third largest city in Iraq and is one of Iraqs main financial centres due to its harbour and the oil industry that is located there. Britain provided the second largest contingent of troop in the Iraq war with a maximum of 46,000 troops. America had the biggest presence in the country.
