Operation Telic
Operation Telic was the codename for the United Kingdom's military involvement in Iraq from March 2003 until May 2011, parallel to the U.S.-led Operation Iraqi Freedom. The operation commenced with an air assault on March 19, 2003, aimed at overthrowing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, leading to a land invasion the following day. The British military's initial objectives included capturing Baghdad and ensuring stability in the region, which saw the deployment of approximately 46,000 troops at its peak.
While the operation resulted in the ousting of Hussein and the declaration of victory by May 1, 2003, it was not without challenges. Initial local support for British forces shifted as cultural misunderstandings and military actions led to rising tensions, culminating in violent clashes, including the tragic deaths of six British military personnel in June 2003. The main combat operations officially concluded in 2009, though a smaller contingent remained to assist in training the Iraqi defense forces until 2011.
Throughout its duration, Operation Telic incurred significant costs—estimated at £9.6 billion—and resulted in the loss of 179 lives among military and civilian personnel, with ongoing debates about the justification and consequences of the intervention, particularly regarding the absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
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Operation Telic
Operation Telic was the code name for the United Kingdom’s military operations in Iraq between March 2003 and May 2011. The main thrust of the operation ended April 30, 2009, after which about 150 members of the Royal Navy remained for just over two years to train members of the Iraqi defense force. At its peak, Operation Telic involved 46,000 troops. According to the United Kingdom, 179 military or civilian personnel involved with the operation died, including 136 killed in combat and 43 who died from accidents, illness, or unspecified causes. The operation cost an estimated £9.6 billion, or nearly US$13 billion.
Background
Operation Telic was the British military’s name for the same wartime engagement known as Operation Iraqi Freedom in the United States. The name was chosen by a computer from a pre-approved list of words in accordance with the practice of the British military. This ensures campaign names are not political and are serious enough to reflect the gravity of war. Telic is a word of Greek origin and means a purposeful or decisive action.
The operation is also known in general terms as the Second Gulf War or the War in Iraq. The First Gulf War began in 1991 after Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded neighboring Kuwait in August 1990. The United Nations ordered Hussein to withdraw. When he failed to do so, a coalition of troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Poland, and other countries acted to remove him. This effort—known as Operation Desert Storm—drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait.
However, Hussein remained in power, and by the early 2000s, allied governments became concerned he possessed weapons of mass destruction—a term that encompassed possible nuclear or biological weapons. Following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, these concerns grew. It was believed that Hussein was aiding al Qaeda, the terrorist group responsible for the suicide airplane attacks. US President George W. Bush called on that nation’s allies to join the United States in a war on terror, leading to the Second Gulf War.
Overview
Operation Telic began on March 19, 2003, when coalition forces launched an air assault they hoped would take out Hussein. However, the Iraqi leader was not where military leadership thought he would be, and a land invasion began the following day. The goal of the operation was to capture Baghdad, where Hussein’s presidential palace was located.
UK troops first attacked the port city of Umm Qasr. Following this, Britain’s Seventh Armoured Brigade—known as the Desert Rats—along with paratroopers from the Third Battalion spent two weeks assaulting Basra, Iraq’s second largest city. The fighting claimed the lives of eleven British military personnel. The combined actions of the coalition troops resulted in a declaration of victory on May 1, 2003.
Once this was achieved, the British military remained stationed in the area to guard against any counterattacks. The local people had initially welcomed the troops as liberators and treated them so well the soldiers stopped wearing protective armor. However, tensions grew between the troops and the local population, especially those living near the southern Iraqi town of Majar al-Kabir. The tensions were the result of cultural differences and military procedures, such as searching the townspeople’s homes for terrorists and weapons. Eventually, an agreement was reached that called for the military forces to stay outside the town.
Despite efforts to calm the situation, the tensions erupted into violence on June 24, 2003. A mob of around three hundred Iraqis reacted when troops from the Third Battalion arrived to conduct what the military said was a routine patrol. It is unclear whether the townspeople misunderstood the troops’ actions or the troops failed to adhere to the agreed-to protocols, but the situation quickly grew heated. Amid rising tensions, shots were fired and vehicles set on fire. When the situation was over, six British military police who had been training Iraqi troops were dead.
British forces participating in Operation Telic also battled Iraqi insurgents during the next several years before most troops were withdrawn by April 30, 2009. A small group of 150 troops, mostly from the Royal Navy, remained deployed until May 22, 2011. These troops were charged with training the Iraqi military to protect its own people and land.
Operation Telic involved the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and the British Army. About 4,000 Navy Marines participated along with more than two dozen large water craft, including aircraft and helicopter carriers, frigates, minehunters, and a number of support craft. More than 7,000 members of the Royal Air Force were involved along with more than 125 aircraft, including 27 helicopters. The bulk of the British forces came from the Army, which deployed the First Armoured Division, the Seventh Armoured Brigade, the Sixteenth Assault Brigade, and the 102th Logistics Brigade.
Opinions on the outcome of Operation Telic are mixed. From a military standpoint, the effort succeeded in toppling Hussein’s regime and securing key areas such as Baghdad. The troops were deployed more quickly than for the First Gulf War, but encountered difficulties keeping track of the massive amount of equipment and supplies sent to support the war effort.
However, the war in the Middle East tried the patience of British citizens, as it did citizens of other coalition countries. As time went on, people also began to question the justification for the war, which was based largely on claims that Iraq was fostering terrorists and had weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons cache was ever located, casting doubt on the war’s original purpose.
Bibliography
Cooper, Tim. “Remembering OP Telic: How the Iraq War Was Won & Arguably Lost.” Forces.net, 6 March 2017, www.forces.net/news/remembering-op-telic-how-iraq-war-was-won-arguably-lost. Accessed 29 Dec. 2020.
“The First Gulf War.” Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State, history.state.gov/departmenthistory/short-history/firstgulf. Accessed 29 Dec. 2020.
“Majar al-Kabir: From Quiet to Carnage.” British Broadcasting Corporation, 26 June 2003, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle‗east/3022670.stm. Accessed 29 Dec. 2020.
McIlroy, Tom. “Operation Names: How Do Police and the Military Choose Them?” Guardian, 22 Jan. 2014, www.smh.com.au/national/operation-names-how-do-police-and-the-military-choose-them-20140122-3183x.html. Accessed 29 Dec. 2020.
“Ministry of Defence: Operation Telic—United Kingdom Military Operations in Iraq.” National Audit Office, www.nao.org.uk/report/ministry-of-defence-operation-telic-united-kingdom-military-operations-in-iraq/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2020.
“Operation Iraqi Freedom.” Frontline—Public Broadcasting Service, 26 Feb. 2004, www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/invasion/cron/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2020.
“Operation Telic” Armed Forces, www.armedforces.co.uk/operationtelic.php. Accessed 29 Dec. 2020.
Reid, Peter. “This Day in History: The 2003 Invasion Of Iraq Began.” American Military News, 20 March 2017, americanmilitarynews.com/2017/03/day-history-2003-invasion-iraq-began/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2020.