British Cemetery in Wasit

British Cemetery

The British Cemetery is located in the center of Kut city- Wasit province, containing the remains of 450 soldiers who were killed in battles broke out between British and Ottoman during the first world war 1914-1918.

During the old regime time the British embassy in Iraq took care of the cemetery providing services and keeping a guard on their payroll, the Cemetery was a garden full of trees and bushes at that time. Students who needs to study and people who needs to get some fresh air regularly visit this place because of it peace and quiet.

Everything was going will until 1991 when the embassy decided to stop its funding and stop paying the guard, that’s when things got ugly.

Because of its location near a busy market the place was turned to a dump yard for all the surrounding houses and shops, some of its spaces are used for a motorcycle market and a place where buyers test their bikes around the graves.

The local officials say that they have no authority on the land because it is owned by the British embassy, they claim that they cannot get any governmental funding for it because it is not supervised by any Iraqi ministry or department.

The  question is will the British embassy act to preserve the dignity of its soldiers??