The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
222.
Lord Turnbull
told the Inquiry that the role of COBR(R) was “to take the fallout
from
that War
Cabinet meeting and try and take things forward”.130
223.
The
inter-departmental (FCO/MOD/DFID) Iraq Planning Unit (IPU), based
in
the FCO,
was established on 10 February to improve Whitehall co-ordination
on
post‑conflict
issues.
224.
Although the
IPU was an inter-departmental unit, its head was a senior member
of
the
Diplomatic Service and it was integrated into the FCO management
structure.
225.
The draft
terms of reference stated that:
•
The IPU
would report to Mr Chaplin in the FCO, but without defining
the
relationship
between the Unit and senior officials in DFID and the
MOD.
•
The IPU
would work “within broad policy guidelines set by the Cabinet
Office”.
•
Its main
purpose would be to provide “policy guidance on practical
questions”
that UK
civilian officials and military commanders would face in
Iraq.
•
The IPU was
intended “to bring influence to bear on US plans”.
226.
Tasks assigned
to the IPU by the AHGI included consideration of:
•
the shape
of the Iraqi political process needed to underpin the transition
to
Iraqi rule;
•
management
of Iraq’s oil; and
•
whether and
where the UK should run its own sector before the restoration
of
Iraqi
sovereignty.
227.
After the
creation of the IPU, the AHGI remained responsible for
co-ordination of all
post-conflict
planning and preparation across government, including consular
planning
and civil
contingencies.
228.
On 3 February,
Mr Ehrman reported to Mr Ricketts that the Pigott Group
had
decided
that there was a need for a senior FCO official to co-ordinate
full-time with
MOD, DFID
and others the rapidly increasing volume of work on aftermath
planning.131
229.
Mr Ehrman
suggested that “in addition to work on overall legality … we will
need
sub-groups
on WMD, OFF [the Oil-for-Food programme], SSR [Security Sector
Reform],
humanitarian,
reconstruction, judicial, possibly terrorism. All this to feed into
and
influence
the various aftermath groups in Washington.”
130
Public
hearing, 13 January 2010, pages 43-44.
131
Minute
Ehrman to Ricketts, 3 February 2003, ‘Pigott Group, 3
February’.
302