The culture of Iraq has always been of the utmost importance to its people and to the international community. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq (and notwithstanding the priority requirements of life support, medical facilities and infrastructure repair that the Iraqi people required) it was important that cultural issues – issues that underpinned the historical identity of Iraq – were addressed, and to that end it was deemed appropriate that a cultural initiative be originated and developed with a long-term view to the future.

Before taking command of British troops in Multi-National Division (South East) (MND(SE)) in February 2008, Major General Barney White-Spunner, General Officer Commanding 3rd (United Kingdom) Division, met with Dr Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, to discuss the feasibility of the British Army and the British Museum working jointly to assist the Iraqi Ministry of State for Antiquities and Tourism in developing a cultural heritage project in southern Iraq. From these discussions Operation Heritage was born. From the outset, its aim was to identify key heritage sites and museums in southern Iraq, assess the state that they were in and, in coordination with the Iraqi authorities and the British Museum, implement a plan to safeguard these sites and museums.

In my role as Military Assistant to Major General White-Spunner in Basra I was identified, jointly with Dr John Curtis, Keeper of the Middle Eastern Department of the British Museum, as the project manager for this initiative, and in meetings held at the British Museum and Bulford, home to the Headquarters of the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division, we drew up a plan for the project with the following nine initial objectives:

• to seek approval from the Government of Iraq for the project

• to establish key liaison routes between the British Museum, the British Army and the Iraqi Ministry of State for Antiquities and Tourism

• to secure funding for the different aspects of the project

• to nominate the important cultural heritage sites in southern Iraq and carry out assessments with a team of experts

• to establish training courses for museum curators at the British Museum

• to assess security at key heritage sites

• to assist with and help to coordinate infrastructure repair as required

• to liaise with Government of Iraq Ministries and other Coalition partners to ensure that there is a coordinated approach on heritage issues pan-Iraq