MAY 15: IRAQ AFTER THE WAR: EVENING Advertiser reporter Martin Vincent has just returned from a visit to Iraq where he met RAF men and women from Lyneham who are helping to rebuild the war ravaged country.

George W Bush has said that the main conflict is over.

But now the campaign is under way to re-establish Iraq as a democratic and thriving member of the international community. And personnel from RAF Lyneham are playing a major role in achieving this.

Those he met were stationed at Basra International Airport where they are working flat out to relaunch the airport and give it back to the Iraqi people to run.

The main buildings at the airport were not damaged when coalition forces launched their invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.

But the retreating Iraqi soldiers, and the looters that later moved in, literally removed everything that was not nailed down.

Apart from mundane things such as chairs and tables essential computer, technical, communications and other electronic equipment were all stolen. It's against this background that the Wiltshire airmen have been given the job of getting the airport up and running again and they are well on course to achieve this aim.

They are working in temperatures that are already hitting 44C with a wind that at time feels as if a hair drier is being held just inches from your face. On top of this there are the millions of flies, mosquitoes, and toilet facilities that are just about bearable.

The men and women are working long hard hours often up to 18 hours a day but there is little complaining. As usual Britain's military are getting on with the job they have been asked to do.