3.2 |
Development of UK strategy and options, January to April 2002 –
“axis of evil” to Crawford
it had
been since the President’s State of the Union
Address”.20
Iraq was
something that
the US and
UK “needed to think through very carefully together”.
52.
Sir David
reported that there was no expectation that anything would be
decided
before Mr
Blair’s planned visit to the US in early April, which “would
therefore provide an
excellent
opportunity to review the issue”.
53.
In a
meeting to discuss Phase 2 of the war against terrorism on 19
February,
Mr Blair
agreed work on possible SIS operations to support Iraqi
opposition
groups
should be taken forward.
54.
No.10 also
commissioned a number of papers to inform preparations
for
Mr Blair’s
meeting with President Bush.
55.
Discussions
between Sir Richard Dearlove, Chief of the Secret Intelligence
Service
(SIS),
No.10 and the US about possible action in Iraq in late 2001 and
January 2002 are
addressed
in Section 3.1.
56.
In response to
a request from Sir David Manning for an update before Mr
Blair’s
meeting
with Vice President Cheney on 11 March, Sir Richard Dearlove wrote
on
12 February
setting out a possible SIS contribution to policy on
Iraq.21
57.
Sir Richard
wrote that the option of support to opposition groups was still
being
considered,
but there were doubts about the chances of success. He advised
that
Mr Blair
should express support for the principle of a plan to support
opposition groups,
including
air support, “rather than a solely military solution”.
58.
Sir Richard
Wilson, the Cabinet Secretary, was informed on 19 February
that
Sir Richard
Dearlove had briefed Mr Blair on possible SIS operations in Iraq
that
day, and
Mr Blair agreed that work should be taken forward.22
59.
Mr Straw and
Sir Michael Jay, FCO Permanent Under Secretary (PUS), were
also
shown a
copy of the letter.
60.
The papers
seen by the Inquiry suggest that was the first time Mr Straw
was
informed of
SIS discussions with the US.
61.
The funding
arrangements for SIS operations in Iraq were set out in a
letter
from Sir
Richard Wilson to Mr Andrew Smith, the Chief Secretary to the
Treasury,
20
Letter
Manning to McDonald, 14 February 2002, ‘Conversation with Condi
Rice: Iraq’.
21
Letter C to
Manning, 12 February 2002, ‘Iraq Policy’ attaching Paper ‘Iraq
Policy – SIS Contribution’.
22
Letter
Private Secretary to C to Allberry, 19 February 2002, ‘SIS Funding
of Operations […] in Iraq’.
23
Letter
Wilson to Smith, 26 February 2002, ‘Iraq: Requirement for funding
for […] Operations by SIS’.
397