european opposition to a policy of regime change in iraq meant that little deliberation had taken place in europe as to what a post-saddam iraq may look like. there was also a pronounced wariness in continental europe regarding the iraqi opposition. even a december 2002 conference on the subject of democracy in iraq had to be moved from brussels to london because of the sensitivity of the subject for continental europeans. in britain, the country closest to the united states on iraq, relations between iraqi oppositionists and official circles were few.