12.1 |
Security Sector Reform
330.
Mr Blair
gave President Bush a slightly revised version of Sir Jeremy’s
paper, in
which this
text had not been altered.292
331.
Mr Richmond
visited Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, in
mid‑November.293
The
dominant theme of his discussions was local concerns about
unemployment as a
result of
the dismantling of Iraqi military structures.
332.
Mr Richmond
reported:
“Unemployment
had forced many to do illegal acts, including attacks on
the
Coalition.
They wanted to help the Coalition and could do much to improve
the
security
situation if they could be given back their jobs; they were also
keen to serve
their
country. They complained about de‑Ba’athification which made it
impossible
for most of
them to be employed by the State. The governor said that 50
percent
had joined
the Ba’ath Party not out of conviction but because it was a
condition of
employment;
40 percent for material gain; and only some 10 percent because
they
supported
Ba’athist ideology …
“Jerry
Thompson (CPA advisor for security affairs) explained the
acceleration of
recruitment
to the ICDC, police and the New Iraqi Army [NIA], but he pointed
out
the
different nature of the NIA and the fact that it would be much
smaller than the
old army.
Recruiting in Ramadi would start in January. He encouraged them
to
participate.”
333.
In a video
conference with President Bush on 4 December, Mr Blair was
recorded
to have
underlined the importance of Iraqiisation, including involving the
Sunni
community
and ex‑Ba’athists.294
334.
In
mid‑November a new political timetable for Iraq was announced,
which brought
forward the
assumption of power by the Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) to
June
335.
Former DCC
Brand told the Inquiry that the change of timetable critically
changed
everyone’s
outlook: “all the focus was on ‘Let’s get this over to the Iraqis’,
and so our
longer‑term
intentions were almost squashed from there on.”296
292
Paper
Greenstock, 20 November 2003, ‘Iraq: Security’.
293
Teleletter
Richmond to FCO London, 23 November 2003, ‘Iraq: Sunni Outreach:
Visit to Ar Ramadi’.
294
Letter
Cannon to Adams, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s Video Conference with
President Bush, 4 December’.
295
Minute
Cannon to Prime Minister, 18 November 2003, ‘Iraq: Political
Timetable’.
296
Public
hearing, 29 June 2010, page 67.
131