12.1 |
Security Sector Reform
1043.
Acting ACC
Dick Barton took over from DCC Smith as Chief Police
Adviser‑Iraq
on 27 March
2006 and was based in Basra (as opposed to Baghdad) in line
with
Sir Ronnie’s
recommendation described earlier in this Section.961
1044.
For his first
task, ACC Barton was commissioned by the FCO to conduct a
review
of the UK
police mission in Iraq, focusing on three main areas: strategic
priorities,
personnel
structure of UK police in Iraq and “other work required (in support
of Strategic
1045.
ACC Barton’s
review was completed on 20 April and sought “to avoid
replicating
areas
already covered” by Sir Ronnie’s review four months earlier.
He wrote that his
“review
theme” was to “keep it basic”, stating that basic principles sat
under many
complex
policing issues. He highlighted three strategic
priorities:
“•
The mission
must focus on building links with the criminal justice
system.
•
The mission
must be engaged in developing the new Internal Affairs,
Major
Crime
[Unit] and National Information and Investigation Agency
(NIIA).
•
The mission
must identify a realistic working model which facilitates
draw‑down
and
eventual complete handover to the Iraqi Police
Service.”
1046.
ACC Barton
made 12 recommendations for change in the way the UK
police
mission was
staffed including:
•
creating an
Assistant Chief Police Adviser post with a focus on major crime
and
criminal
justice;
•
creating a
post to focus on developing an effective Internal Affairs
capability,
warning
that overt corruption in the police was “crippling”;
•
reducing
the number of contracted police officers; and
•
designating
a Senior Police Adviser at Chief Superintendent level to
be
territorial lead
for Baghdad now that the CPA‑I role had relocated.
1047.
Mr Straw
wrote to Mr Charles Clarke, Home Secretary, on 17 October
2005
about findings
from a Strategic Task Force established to “take a fresh look” at
how
the UK
contributed to international operations.963
Mr Straw
wrote that assisting in
international
missions was “vital” for the UK’s foreign policy priorities and
also created
“direct
operational benefits” for the UK when officers returned with
experience of
“working in
the field”.
1048.
The Strategic
Task Force assessed that there was no need to increase the
overall
numbers
provided by the UK, but suggested increasing the proportion of
senior officers
961
Statement
Barton, 7 June 2010, page 3.
962
Report
Barton, 20 April 2006, ‘Situational Review of the United Kingdom
Civilian Police Mission in Iraq’.
963
Straw to
Home Secretary, 17 October 2005, ‘International
Policing’.
293