The committee said that it was not calling for combat troops to be deployed, a move the government has ruled out, but said Britain should meet a request from the Iraqi army to provide training to counter Improvised Explosive Devices and also help with mission planning and tactics.
It also criticized ministers and military chiefs for failing to provide a clear idea of Britain’s objectives or strategy in Iraq and called on the government to “radically” increase its defense and diplomatic engagement with regional powers such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
“We must clearly acknowledge the previous failures in Iraq, and reform our approach. But that does not mean lurching to doing nothing,” said committee chairman Rory Stewart, a lawmaker from Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member