Operation Telic and the Liberation of Iraq

by Dennis Abbott

Dennis Abbott’s Operation Telic and the Liberation of Iraq is an anecdote-packed daily diary of his 2003 tour as a British Army reserve media officer. As a journalist in uniform, he provides an insider–outsider perspective on southern Iraq’s post‐invasion media operations. His narrative underscores the tensions of serving two masters – commanders and a demanding press. It offers rare detail on civil–military relations and public affairs.

The account vividly chronicles press duties, from handling questions after the Majar al-Kabir massacre to the tense Basra Palace festivities. Abbott captures the interplay between the military and the media. His accounts are honest, authentic and often funny. Potential readers should note that there unlikely to be another account of the British in Iraq quite like Abbot’s. This first-hand narrative thus fills a gap by bringing the communication front line to life, albeit with a reporter’s eye for rather than scholarly analysis.

However, the diary format limits analytical depth. Many passages record routine and mundane tasks, securing air conditioning and escorting journalists for example. Those who served in Iraq will enjoy the reminiscences nonetheless. Abbott largely refrains from strategic critique or technical detail, he seldom frames his account in terms of an overall strategic communications campaign or the Iraqi information environment, and questions of operational transparency or local media influence remain largely implicit.

In sum, Operation Telic should be valued as a colour-rich on-the-ground memoir of military public affairs. It offers practical insight into tactical media handling and civil–military liaison, but its narrow focus and lack of strategic or technical analysis mean it augments the historical record as a vivid supplement rather than as a definitive study of Operation TELIC.

Colonel (Retd) Joe Cooper

Director Royal Signals Institution

Published by: Pen & Sword Books, 16 Aug. 2024. 224 pages.

ISBN-13: 978-1036106416