The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
“Of the
IraqRep staff (including civil servants and contractors) there are
about
120 each
in Baghdad and Basra and 20 or so in smaller locations. Most are
based in
secure
locations which are currently protected by Coalition Armed Forces.
Protection
whilst on
the move is normally provided by private contractors. The
security
guidelines
for these staff is constantly under review, based on risk
assessment done
by full
time FCO security managers in Baghdad and Basra. Staff understand
that
they are
volunteers and that they may return to the UK if not comfortable
with the
security
arrangements.
“In the
event that HMG civilians had to be withdrawn from the South, the UK
Armed
Forces
would assist with the evacuation of UK staff, through Basra
Airport, by
road to
Kuwait, or by sea, depending on the operational circumstances.
Those in
Baghdad
would be assisted to leave through the airport. In the outlying
areas the
US military
would assist. Detailed contingency plans are being drawn
up.”
301.
Sir Kevin
also commented on concerns expressed by Permanent Secretaries
that
the
withdrawal of civilian contractors could undermine the
reconstruction effort:
“The impact
on reconstruction would indeed be serious if contractors began
to
withdraw,
although there is little evidence that this is happening on a large
scale.
Most
companies seem to realise that they must balance their desire to
participate
in [the]
reconstruction effort with the need to look after their staff. Many
are
reassessing
their security arrangements, but look likely to remain … No UK or
US
funded
contractor has withdrawn from Iraq.”
302.
The Annotated
Agenda for the AHMGIR on 22 April advised that security
had
deteriorated
“markedly” over Easter (9 to 12 April) and that the risks to UK
civilian staff in
Iraq were
“high”.209
The
deployment of civilians had been reviewed and, as a
temporary
measure,
new deployments to Baghdad had been suspended and staff unable
operate
in the
current security environment had been withdrawn.
303.
The AHMGIR
approved the recommendation that all other staff should remain
in
Iraq
subject to continuing review.210
304.
The 11 May
meeting of ISOG discussed a concern raised by Mr Patrick
Nixon,
Sir Hilary
Synnott’s successor as Head of CPA(South), that there would be a
gap in
reconstruction
activity in the South between the end of the CPA and the launch of
major
infrastructure
projects in August.211
The number
of UK reconstruction staff would fall from
51 to seven
(see Section 10.1).
305.
On 18 May,
Mr Philip Parham, Head of the FCO Iraq Operations Unit
(IOU),
updated
Sir Michael Jay on the security of civilian staff in
Iraq.212
209 Annotated
Agenda, 21 April 2004, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation
meeting.
210
Minutes, 22
April 2004, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation
meeting.
211
Letter
Cabinet Office [junior official] to Buck, 13 May 2004, ‘Iraq:
Senior Officials Group’.
212
Minute
Parham to PS/PUS, 18 May 2004, ‘Iraq: Security of Civilian
Staff’.
296