The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
18.
The record of
the FCO Iraq Morning Meeting on 4 February 2003 stated
that
the US had
requested “a broader UK team (in addition to our MOD
representative
[Maj Gen Cross])”.7
FCO
officials would check Personnel Directorate’s8
progress
in
identifying “an FCO representative”. DFID was also considering
sending a
representative.
19.
Ms Clare
Short, the International Development Secretary, was reluctant
to
second DFID
officials to ORHA in the absence of a UN mandate for
reconstruction
(see Section
6.5). On 20 February, Ms Short agreed that one DFID
representative
should work
with, but not in, ORHA “on a temporary basis” to “influence and
help
with the
planning of the Office”.9
20.
A DFID
official was appointed “temporary humanitarian adviser” to
Maj Gen Cross
21.
The record of
the FCO’s Iraq Evening Meeting on 27 February stated: “ORHA
needs
strengthening
– we are looking for a volunteer.” 11
22.
On 27
February, Sir Christopher Meyer, British Ambassador to the US,
warned
that ORHA
was “woefully understaffed”.12
He
suggested that officials earmarked for
the British
Embassy Baghdad should be sent to help.
23.
On 6 March,
Maj Gen Cross informed the MOD, the FCO and DFID that
he
expected
the requirements for Lt Gen Garner’s “Top Team” to become
clear the following
week.13
In the
meantime, he believed that two UK military officers might be able
to
join him
from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa. He reported
that,
on the
civilian side, DFID’s humanitarian adviser continued “to explore
how ORHA’s
humanitarian
plans are developing” and an FCO official had been identified as
UK
liaison
officer for ORHA’s back office in the US.
24.
The record of
the FCO Iraq Morning Meeting on 10 March stated that ORHA
had
been
“strengthened with three further UK officers”, two from the FCO and
one from
British
Trade International (BTI).14
25.
The British
Embassy Washington reported on 16 March that five UK secondees
had
deployed
with ORHA to Kuwait: Maj Gen Cross, a second military
officer and the three
civilians
from the FCO and Trade Partners UK (TPUK), the division of BTI
responsible
7
Minute
Tanfield to PS/PUS [FCO], 4 February 2003, ‘Iraq Morning Meeting:
Key Points’.
8
Renamed
Human Resources Directorate later in 2003.
9
Minute
Bewes to Fernie, 20 February 2003, ‘Iraq: Meeting with General
Cross’.
10
Minute
Brewer to Secretary of State [DFID], 28 February 2003, ‘Iraq/UN:
visits to New York and
Washington,
26‑27 February’.
11 Minute MED
to PS/PUS [FCO], 27 February 2003, ‘Iraq Evening Meeting: Key
Points’.
12
Telegram
257 Washington to FCO London, 27 February 2003, ‘Iraq: Day After:
UK Role in
Post‑Conflict Iraq’.
13
Minute
Cross to DCDS(C), 6 March 2003, ‘ORHA feedback from Gen Cross
6 Mar 03’.
14
Minute
Tanfield to PS/PUS [FCO], 10 March 2003, ‘Iraq Morning Meeting: Key
Points’.
248