With the war in Iraq now five years old I decided to read again Colonel Tim Collins’ famous speech from the eve of the campaign.
Whatever you think of him, or of the war, or of war, these words are wise and -with hindsight- particularly poignant:

We go to liberate, not to conquer.
We will not fly our flags in their country. 
We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. 
Show respect for them. There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly.
 Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send.
 As for the others, I expect you to rock their world.
 Wipe them out if that is what they choose. 
But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory…

Read the rest of the speech here