10.1 |
Reconstruction: March 2003 to June 2004
assessing
the scope to provide emergency medical provision and public
information
in this
scenario.”
38.
That
assessment was repeated in an FCO paper on Phase IV
(post-conflict)
issues sent
to Mr Blair by Mr Straw on 25 March, in advance of
Mr Blair’s meeting with
President
Bush at Camp David.19
39.
It was also
repeated in a DFID paper on humanitarian assistance during
and
immediately
after the conflict sent to No.10 on 25 March.20
40.
The DFID paper
identified steps to address the capability gap,
including:
•
Securing and
maintaining a permissive environment as soon as
possible.
•
Addressing
funding and constraints for humanitarian agencies. DFID and
the
Treasury
should conclude discussions on overall humanitarian
funding.
•
Addressing
urgently the risks posed to Iraqi civilians by CBW and assessing
the
scope for
UK support in the event of a CBW attack.
•
Standing
ready to protect and restore power and water supplies to
prevent
“a health-based
disaster”.
41.
Between 18
March and 22 April, COBR, the UK Government’s crisis
management
and
co-ordination facility, sent twice-daily updates on key events
relating to Iraq to senior
officials
and departments.21
42.
The 25 March
COBR round-up of key events in Iraq reported “some concern
about
the
humanitarian situation in Basra where water and electricity
supplies have been
disrupted
since Friday [21 March]”.22
43.
The MOD
informed No.10 on 25 March that the Royal Engineers had started
work
on a water
pipeline from Kuwait into Iraq, in order to restore supplies of
drinking water
44.
Ms Short told
the 27 March Ad Hoc Meeting24
that the
humanitarian situation in
Basra was
improving because of the efforts of the International Committee of
the Red
19
Minute
Straw to Blair, 25 March 2003, ‘Camp David: Post-Iraq Policies’
attaching Paper FCO,
25 March
2003, ‘Iraq: Phase IV Issues’.
20
Letter
Bewes to Rycroft, 25 March 2003, ‘Iraq: humanitarian assistance
during and immediately after
the
conflict’ attaching Paper DFID, 25 March 2003, ‘Iraq: humanitarian
assistance during and immediately
after the
conflict’.
21
Minute
Cabinet Office [junior official] to Manning, ‘Iraq: COBR Round Up
of Key Events – 18 March’;
Minute
Cabinet Office [junior official] to Manning, ‘Iraq: COBR Round Up
of Key Events – 22 April’.
22
Minute
Cabinet Office [junior official] to Manning, 25 March 2003, ‘Iraq:
COBR Round Up of Key
Events – 25
March’.
23
Letter
Watkins to Rycroft, 25 March 2003, ‘Iraq: Military
Campaign’.
24
The Ad Hoc
Meeting (also known as the “War Cabinet”) took place daily from 19
March to 12 April, with
the
exception of Sundays 30 March and 6 April, and was chaired by
Mr Blair.
11