The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
130.
Baroness Amos
reiterated the point on 2 July, after her visit to Iraq. She
told
Mr Blair:
“The
overwhelming – and immediate – priority is security … the situation
appears
to be
worsening by the day.” 85
131.
The FCO and
DFID carried out a joint security assessment of Baghdad and
Basra
between 29
June and 3 July.86
132.
Mr Peter
Millett, Head of FCO Security Strategy Unit (SSU), set out the
key
conclusions
to Mr Collecott:
“We are
failing to meet our duty of care to both FCO staff and those
seconded
to CPA
through the FCO. The security situation is extremely dangerous and
the
CPA
security resources are inadequate. The majority of secondees need
to travel
outside the
secure zone where the threat is high and there is little or no
control of
the
streets. The rules require secondees to travel in soft‑skinned
vehicles escorted
by US
military vehicles. This makes them extremely vulnerable since the
US military
are the
target of daily attacks. The alternative to military escorts is a
two‑car convoy
with
‘shooters’, ie armed escorts. There are not enough military
personnel, so UK
secondees
are being asked to handle weapons, which does nothing to
enhance
133.
Mr Millett
listed the steps needed to allow CPA secondees to operate
“effectively
and safely”
in Baghdad:
•
a security
manager in Iraq “to brief new arrivals, keep them up to date
on
security
incidents, manage security assets (vehicles, flak jackets etc) and
act
as a
focal point for communications”;
•
a fleet of
vehicles able to operate with or without US military
escorts;
•
a team of
armed escorts to accompany secondees outside the secure zone;
and
•
a radio
communications system to allow secondees to stay in touch with
the
security
manager when outside the secure zone.
134.
Implementation
of the package required:
•
agreement
on the detail with DFID, which was already introducing
better
transport
and equipment for its secondees;
•
a
calculation of the number of journeys required each week and
therefore the
number of
vehicles and escorts needed;
•
ordering
vehicles for early delivery;
85
Letter Amos
to Blair, 2 July 2003, [untitled].
86
Minute
Gillett to Brewer, 5 July 2003, ‘Iraq: Joint FCO/DFID Security
Assessment Visit 29th June
to 3rd July’.
87
Minute
Millett to Collecott, 7 July 2003, ‘Iraq Security’.
266