The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
An internal
DFID review of the project in June 2006 concluded that although the
training
(held in
Dubai for security reasons) was generally of a high quality and
cost‑effective,
the project
was unlikely to lead to sustainable improvements in professional
practice in
the absence
of any continuing in‑country support for the trainees or any links
to broader
institutional
reform processes.309
An
in‑country justice adviser had been recruited to
mitigate
these weaknesses, but she had been withdrawn from Iraq after 10
days for
security
reasons. The review commented:
“… the
project should have been used as an entry point for DFID’s work in
this sector,
been more
flexible in the range of activities it could support, and been more
closely
linked to
efforts at donor co‑ordination … The [review] team acknowledges
that the
project was
put together under pressure rapidly to get programme activities
started
with some
quick‑win activities … The pressure to move fast, however, may well
have
sown the
seeds for the eventual, limited impact.”
359.
In late
January 2004, Acting DCC Brand reported that it had been agreed at
a
meeting
between the CPA and the US NSC to reduce the planned “Civpol police
adviser
pool” –
those officers who would undertake monitoring/mentoring duties –
from 1,500
to 500 and
to use the savings to finance specialist facilities and
trainers.310
DCC
Brand
was unable
to attend; it is unclear whether there was any other UK
representation at the
meeting.
The advisers were to be provided by Dyncorps,311
with 50
being earmarked for
360.
Although
training at the Jordan training facility was under way, an FCO
update to
No.10 on 18
February detailed “infrastructure and contract”
problems.313
361.
The response
from No.10 stated:
“The Prime
Minister was disappointed to read of continuing problems with the
police
training in
Jordan. It is not good enough that the training school is running
at only
half its
capacity and that at the current rate the police training programme
will need
to extend
at least to the end of the year.”314
362.
Mr Blair
requested a further update detailing the steps to be taken to “get
this vital
training
programme back on track”.
363.
Mr Blair
raised his concerns over delays in funding the police training
camp
in Jordan
in a video conference with President Bush on 24 February, in which
Vice
President
Cheney and Dr Rice also participated.315
The White
House team told Mr Blair
309
Report
DFID, 30 June 2006, ‘Iraq International Legal Consortium Justice
Sector’.
310
Minute
Brand, 1 February 2004, ‘Report from Iraq – Douglas
Brand’.
311
Dyncorps is
a US‑based private military contractor.
312
Minute FCO
[junior official] to Buck, 4 February 2004, ‘Visit to Iraq 26‑30
Jan’.
313
Letter
Adams to Rycroft, 18 February 2004, ‘Iraq: Security Sector
Reform’.
314
Letter
Rycroft to Adams, 23 February 2004, ‘Iraq: Security Sector
Reform’.
315
Letter
Cannon to Adams, 24 February 2004, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s
Video‑Conference with
President
Bush, 24 February’.
136