Engineer
""""Is the war still on? or is this an occupying force trying to maintain stability""""""
Good Point
However, I was alluding to the fact that the cases involved have been sub judice for quite some time and any such practices will have been stomped on to the nth degree now.
Also, I believe the transparency of the Military and the gathering of evidence for possible Courts Martial was the catalyst for the media reporting ? Reporting which turned into farce.
I believe that when you are killing and being killed, War is as good a name for it as any.
"Police Actions" tend to be very messy because of untidy ROE and the fact that British Soldiers have been prosecuted or been called to legal account in the past (Ireland, VCP; Gibraltar "shoot to kill" etc etc ) for doing their job in the heat of a particular hostile situation and this is a limiting factor in protecting oneself.
Also. try not to forget what a **** magnet Iraq has become for International terror groups. Good kill zone, preferable to our own turf !