2 | Decision-making within government

NSID(OD)

263. After taking office as Prime Minister in June 2007, Mr Gordon Brown reorganised

the structure of Cabinet Committees. Iraq fell within the remit of the Committee on

National Security, International Relations and Development (NSID), and specifically its

Overseas and Defence Sub-Committee (NSID(OD)).

264. The first scheduled meeting, on 19 July, was cancelled and NSID(OD) therefore

met for the first time on 8 October.158

265. The Iraq Strategy Group (ISG) met from autumn 2003, chaired by Sir Nigel

Sheinwald, Mr Blair’s Foreign Policy Adviser and Head of OD Sec.

266. Sir Nigel described its function as “a strategy group that was trying to look at the

big political, security and economic issues”.159

267. The Iraq Senior Officials Group (ISOG) met on a monthly basis from autumn 2003,

usually chaired by the Deputy Head of OD Sec. A record of the meeting was reported to

Sir Nigel Sheinwald, who described its purpose as “senior officials looking at the more

operational issues”.160

268. Sir Nigel described both the ISG and the ISOG as “trying to feed into the Ministerial

discussions which were taking place”.

158 Minute Cabinet Office [junior official] to Prime Minister, 5 October 2007, ‘NSID(OD) Iraq Meeting –

Steering Brief: Monday 8 October 09:30’.

159 Public hearing, 16 December 2009, page 56.

160 Public hearing, 16 December 2009, page 56.

309