10.1  |  Reconstruction: March 2003 to June 2004

305.  Maj Gen Cross told Mr O’Brien that Lt Gen Garner’s plan was to create four ORHA

regions, each with their own ORHA office.169 Denmark was already looking to lead the

southern office.

306.  Lt Gen Garner asked Mr O’Brien if the UK would:

• consider assuming responsibility for one of the four ORHA regions;

• deploy “expert staff” to help with reconstruction at working level, ORHA already

had enough “managers and administrators”; and

• provide up to five UK military officers to act as the senior ORHA officials in a

number of Iraq’s 18 Provinces.170

307.  On his way to Baghdad, Mr O’Brien met Air Marshal Brian Burridge, UK National

Contingent Commander, in Qatar.171

308.  The British Embassy’s record of the meeting reported that AM Burridge had raised

concerns about DFID.

309.  Mr O’Brien reported those concerns to Mr Straw on 30 April.172 AM Burridge had

described DFID as “a disgrace, a bloody disgrace”. He had been frustrated by DFID’s

reaction to military action from the outset:

“DFID’s officials had attended planning meetings, apparently under instructions

not to participate in discussions or make preparations for the humanitarian

consequences of military action. As a result, DFID was unprepared when military

action finally started. Since then they have been trying to catch up. Sometimes the

inadequacy of preparations was hampering rather than helping aid distribution in the

southern region. In Burridge’s view DFID needed to get involved – and quickly. The

lack of co-operation with ORHA was of concern.

“Reconstruction was the key area where DFID could be involved in a highly visible

way. But so far nothing seemed to be happening.”

310.  Copies of Mr O’Brien’s minute were sent to Sir Michael Jay, Mr Ricketts,

Mr Chaplin and Sir David Manning.

169  Telegram 41 FCO London to Doha, 30 April 2003, ‘Central Iraq Conference: Mr O’Brien’s Discussions

with General Tim Cross’.

170  Telegram 42 FCO London to Doha, 30 April 2003, ‘Central Iraq Conference: Mr O’Brien’s Discussions

with Jay Garner’.

171  Telegram 87 Doha to FCO London, 29 April 2003, ‘Baghdad Conference: Mr O’Brien’s Call on Air

Marshall Burridge’.

172  Minute O’Brien to Foreign Secretary [Straw], 30 April 2003, ‘Mr O’Brien’s Call on Air Marshall Burridge’.

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