The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

81. From early June 2003, and throughout the summer, there were signs that security

in both Baghdad and the South was deteriorating.

82. The Government continued to face pressure in Parliament to provide estimates

of the numbers of Iraqi citizens who had died during the conflict. The Government’s

line remained that the UK had no means of ascertaining the number of Iraqi Service

Personnel or civilians who had been killed during the conflict.

83. On 14 October 2003, in response to a question from Mr Adam Price regarding the

number of Iraqi civilians who had been killed by UK or US forces in Iraq since the end of

the conflict, Mr Hoon said:

“We make every effort to minimise the impact of military operations on the Iraqi

civilian population.

“We have no reliable means of ascertaining the numbers of civilians killed by United

Kingdom Forces since the conflict ended.”63

84. FCO and MOD officials discussed that response.

85. On 12 November, an FCO official reported to Mr John Buck, FCO Director Iraq, that

according to MOD officials:

“… notwithstanding this answer, records are kept of all significant incidents involving

UK forces. A significant incident would include … a soldier wounding or killing a

civilian. At present, this information is not collated, although PJHQ accept that it

could be.”64

86. That collated information would not necessarily be “fully reliable”, as UK forces could

not always be sure if someone had been killed or wounded in an incident, and whether

that person was a civilian.

87. On the same day, PJHQ sent Mr Hoon a report on the death of two Iraqi adults and

the injury of an Iraqi child in an incident involving UK forces.65

88. The report prompted Mr Hoon to ask PJHQ for “further advice on the total numbers

of civilians killed by UK forces since the end of major combat operations”.66

89. On 13 November, in response to a question from Mr Price in the House of

Commons, Mr Ingram confirmed that the Special Investigation Branch (SIB) of the Royal

63 House of Commons, Official Report, 14 October 2003, column 22W.

64 Minute FCO [junior official] to Buck, 12 November 2003, ‘Iraq – Civilian Casualties’.

65 Minute PJHQ to PS/Secretary of State [MOD], 12 November 2003, ‘Iraqi Civilian Shooting in Basrah’.

66 Minute APS/Secretary of State to PJHQ, 13 November 2003, ‘Iraqi Civilian Shooting in Basrah’.

186