Northern Ireland and Iraq
Britain since 1945
Northern Ireland's own peace process had been steered from Westminster by Tony Blair, whose government led the talks that produced the Good Friday Agreement. Even so, the devolved government that followed did not run smoothly at first: the Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended in 2002, a sign of how much difficulty remained even after the Agreement was signed.
Stability came back a few years later. The Northern Ireland Assembly returned in 2007, restoring working devolved government after years in suspension, and putting the peace process back on a firmer footing.
Britain's dealings with Iraq spanned two very different conflicts. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, in 1990, first drew British forces into the region as part of an international coalition. Two decades on, in 2009, British combat troops finally left Iraq altogether, bringing years of British combat operations there to a close.
What to remember
 The Northern Ireland Assembly being suspended | 2002 Suspension reflected continuing difficulties in the peace process after devolution. |
|---|---|
| The Northern Ireland Assembly being reinstated | 2007 Its return in 2007 marked stable, working devolved government in Northern Ireland. |
| The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait | 1990 The invasion led Britain into a leading role in the coalition that liberated Kuwait. |
| British combat troops leaving Iraq | 2009 Their withdrawal ended Britain's combat role in the Iraq conflict. |
| Led the government that reached the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 | Tony Blair It built on the peace process John Major had helped start. |
|---|
Everything in Britain since 1945or the whole course, from the beginning