Armed Forces Bill

I think that the hon. Gentleman should make a distinction between the legality or otherwise of the action, conflict or war and the current occupation. There has been discussion about whether the war was legal. I take a view on that; I opposed the war, although the House voted for it. The occupation, however, is sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council, and is at the invitation of the democratically elected Government of the country, whatever we may think about that. Whatever the events of a couple of years ago, surely the hon. Gentleman accepts that the presence of British troops in Iraq now is legal.