The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
•
Delays
caused by duty of care obligations were “unavoidable”, but the
Iraq
experience
would help streamline the process in future.
•
Part of the
problem in Basra had been uncertainty about what was needed
and
“requests
bounced about quite a bit. It would have made sense to have a
senior
post‑conflict
reconstruction expert in Basra working to Hilary Synnott,
defining
needs from
the outset.” 150
218.
On
communications equipment, Mr Buck explained that a secure
communications
package and
engineer had been deployed to the British Office Baghdad at the
outset
and a full
Firecrest151
system had
been ready to be shipped with the flat pack Embassy
in May.
Firecrest systems were designed for a large network of posts.
Because of the
changing
set of posts in Iraq, installation in Baghdad and Basra had been
delayed until
October.
The delay had been a “major disadvantage” that made it “difficult
for the FCO
to
establish authoritative leadership”. Part of the answer lay in
secure laptops. A new
position
had been created “to co‑ordinate and improve emergency deployment
of secure
IT and
communications”.
219.
Mr Buck
advised that most of those points had been fed into the FCO‑led
review
of post‑conflict
reconstruction (see Section 10.3).
220.
Sir Michael
Jay commented:
“I agree
with this. There are many lessons to learn from the – wholly
unprecedented
– Iraq
experience; but I don’t think Hilary Synnott’s criticisms are
entirely fair.” 152
221.
On 26 October,
the al‑Rashid Hotel in the Green Zone of Baghdad, used as
a
Coalition
military base, was hit by a number of rockets.153
222.
The attack
killed a US soldier, and injured 15 other people. US Deputy
Defense
Secretary
Paul Wolfowitz, who was staying in the hotel, escaped
unhurt.
223.
One UK
civilian seconded to the CPA was seriously injured.154
224.
Sir David
Manning, British Ambassador to the US, described the attack
as
“the bloodiest
48‑hour period in Baghdad since March”.155
225.
Sir Jeremy
Greenstock, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on
Iraq,
commented:
“Terrible news. This is the first time a CPA civilian has been
killed in Iraq,
a fact
that will have serious repercussions.” 156
150
Minute Buck
to PS/PUS [FCO], 16 February 2004, ‘FCO Response to
Iraq’.
152
Manuscript
comment Jay on Minute Buck to PS/PUS [FCO], 16 February 2004, ‘FCO
Response
to Iraq’.
153
BBC
News, 26
October 2003, US shocked
at Iraq hotel attack.
154
Briefing
[unattributed], 30 October 2003, ‘Briefing for Foreign Secretary:
Cabinet: 30 October’.
155
Telegram
1426 Washington to FCO London, 28 October 2003, ‘Iraq: US Views 28
October’.
156
Telegram
231 IraqRep to FCO London, 26 October 2003, ‘Rocket Attack on Al
Rasheed Hotel’.
282