The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
44.
On 11 April,
Mr Charles Gray, Head of FCO Middle East Department, told
Mr Straw
that the
plans were on course.26
FCO
Personnel Directorate was identifying a pool of
staff at
all grades willing to serve in Baghdad in the medium to long term.
The aim was
to deploy
staff for one year “to avoid the rapid and disruptive turnover
experienced in the
early days
of our redeployment to Kabul”. When permanent quarters were found,
the flat
pack
Embassy would be returned to the UK for use elsewhere.
45.
Mr Gray
advised that security was a priority. Staff could not be put into a
situation
in which
the FCO could not fulfil its duty of care. Before Mr Segar’s
party and the close
protection
team travelled, the MOD and Assessments Staff needed to conclude
that
the
situation was calm enough in the city as whole, not just in the
area immediately
surrounding
the compound.
46.
Mr Gray
added that it had not been decided how to secure the
compound
perimeter.
Relying on the US military or a private security company would be
politically
unacceptable
and locally engaged (LE) Iraqi guards would not be a realistic
option in the
short term.
The British Army was the only realistic alternative. The MOD was
considering
the issue,
but would “take some persuasion to redeploy to Baghdad from the
South in
what would
in effect be a full company, even for a short deployment (and the
cost to
the FCO
will be high)”.
47.
On 30 April,
Mr Gray reported that planning for opening the mission in
Baghdad,
under the
provisional name of “The British Office”, was in its final
stages.27
The
staff,
the flat
pack Embassy and four armoured vehicles were scheduled to arrive in
Baghdad
on 5 or 6
May.
48.
The British
Office Baghdad was established on 5 May.28
49.
The MOD
deploys civilians in a wide range of support roles for military
operations.
A 2007 list
of 15 different roles routinely performed by MOD civil servants on
deployed
operation,
not specifically linked to Op TELIC, included:
•
“Policy and
Political Adviser (POLAD)” to the deployed Commander at
brigade
level or
higher;
•
“Civil
Secretary (CIVSEC)”, the senior financial officer in
theatre;
•
“Finance
Officer”;
•
“Commercial
Officer”, responsible for contracts and services with local
suppliers;
•
“Media
Adviser”;
•
“MOD
Police”; and
•
“Defence
Fire and Rescue Service”, part of the force protection
service.29
26
Minute Gray
to Private Secretary [FCO], 11 April 2003, ‘Baghdad: Preparing to
Open’.
27
Minute Gray
to Private Secretary, 30 April 2003, ‘Baghdad: Reopening of the
Mission’.
28
Minute Owen
to MED [junior official], 7 May 2003, ‘Iraq Travel
Advice’.
29
Minute
[unattributed] to PS/PUS [MOD], 4 December 2007, ‘TELIC Visit –
Support to Operations Brief’.
252