The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
917.
Mr Des
Browne, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, wrote to Dr Reid
on
23 August,
approving £16m from the Reserve for the package of vehicles,
infrastructure
and
communications equipment that had been presented by MOD
officials.870
Of
the
future, he
wrote:
“Looking
ahead, I hope that it will be possible for you to find other means
of funding
the
remaining elements – either by negotiating with Baghdad, for a
larger share of
what is
available (it is striking that MND(SE) provinces are right at the
bottom of the
priority
list for ISF funding from Baghdad despite being among the best
candidates
for early
transition to ISF control), or by encouraging our allies – most of
whom
are spending
far less than we are in maintaining forces on the ground – to play
a
bigger
role.”
918.
On 30
November, Dr Reid wrote to Mr Browne again, explaining
that the MOD
had secured
funding from MNSTC‑I for infrastructure projects valued at £15m and
from
Australia,
Italy and Japan for other projects.871
The MOD
reduced its request to £19.6m
for 734 IPS
vehicles and for 11 ISF infrastructure projects. Dr Reid
stated that the
additional
funds he was seeking were “on the critical path to enable the
transfer of lead
responsibility
for security to the ISF within the timescales we have been
discussing in
DOP‑I”.
919.
Mr Browne
wrote to Dr Reid on 20 December, approving an additional
£19.6m from
the Reserve
for 734 patrol vehicles and 11 major infrastructure
projects.872
That was
“on
the basis
that they continue to meet the ISF’s highest priority needs and
that funding
from
alternative sources does not become available”.
920.
Mr Browne
added that the delay to commencing withdrawal from
Muthanna
and Maysan
was “regrettable, particularly when the military advice is that
there is no
overwhelming
security need to postpone our withdrawal”. He asked to be kept
informed
of the
resource implications.
921.
On 21
December, AM Torpy wrote to Lt Gen Fry to highlight key issues
for 2006
(as described
earlier in this Section).873
On SSR
resourcing, AM Torpy stated:
“The best
efforts of our staff are being hampered by the speed of decisions
that were
designed
for a different era.”
870
Letter
Browne to Reid, 23 August 2005, ‘Iraq: Funding for Security Sector
Reform and for a Civil Effects
Fund for
MND(SE)’.
871
Letter Reid
to Browne, 30 November 2005, [untitled].
872
Letter
Browne to Reid, 20 December 2005, ‘Security Sector
Reform’.
873
Minute CJO
to DCDS(C), 21 December 2005, ‘Key Operational Issues for Early
2006’.
264