The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

1017. The Baghdad SSR Working Group met on 19 February to discuss Sir Ronnie’s

report.936 The Group commented or identified action against all of recommendations,

including:

• how critical the MOI and its Minister would be in delivering change;

• the practical difficulties encountered while trying to establish effective vetting

procedures which were constrained by a lack of resources;

• that the National Policing Plan needed to be written by the Iraqi Government and

not by the coalition; and

• that there were cost and duty of care issues in implementing Sir Ronnie’s

recommendation that recruits visited theatre.

1018. A summary of the Baghdad SSR Committee on 27 April listed progress against

the six “Baghdad‑related recommendations” from Sir Ronnie’s report.937 Discussions

were ongoing with CPATT on how to implement those; those had been some difficulties

engaging “the right people at the right levels” and the National Policing Plan was “still too

military‑dominated”. It was recorded that there were insufficient resources to undertake

an audit of training at that time.

1019. On 16 May, Mr Patey wrote to Mr Stephen Pattison, FCO Director International

Security, with recommendations on how to ensure the staffing of the UK’s police effort

was right.938

1020. In his response on 24 May, Mr Pattison said that the FCO was taking forward

recommendations from Sir Ronnie’s review, but did not provide further details.939 The

letter focused on attracting more UK police officers to postings in Iraq, and enabling

those postings.

1021. On 30 November 2005, Maj Gen Dutton reported that the Iraqi authorities had

taken the first step towards reforming the IPS by disbanding the Department of Internal

Affairs (DIA).940

1022. On 25 January 2006, Major General John Cooper, GOC MND(SE) from

December 2005 until July 2006, reported that two former members of the DIA who were

implicated in “numerous allegations of corrupt and criminal activity including attacks

against MNF and involvement in the events of Sep 19” had been arrested by UK and

Danish troops.941

936 Email FCO [junior official] to Cunningham, 21 February 2006, ‘Baghdad SSR Working Group’ attaching

Paper ‘BE Baghdad Comments – Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s Report’.

937 Email FCO [junior official] to Mcgurgan, 30 April 2006, ‘Cross‑Whitehall SSR Meeting, 27 April’.

938 Letter Patey to Pattison, 16 May 2006, ‘Re: Policing in Iraq’.

939 Letter Pattison to Patey, 24 May 2006, ‘Policing in Iraq’.

940 Minute Dutton, 30 November 2005, ‘GOC MND(SE) – Southern Iraq – 30 November 2005’.

941 Minute Cooper, 25 January 2006, ‘GOC MND(SE) – Southern Iraq Update – 25 Jan 06’.

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