The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
124.
Sir David
advised Mr Blair to register “extreme caution” and to address
a number
of questions;
in particular how this was suddenly possible, the Turkish angle,
and
whether the
UK could sustain the numbers and, if so, for how long.
125.
Mr Blair
commented: “As discussed. Be careful of this Land idea
…”37
126.
In a
meeting with Mr Hoon on 23 September, Mr Blair agreed
limited
contingency
preparations for a land option, but asked for publicity to
be
minimised.
127.
Following
the discussion, the MOD informed the US that the UK was
still
considering
a land option.
128.
That was
not the No.10 understanding of what had been agreed.
129.
In the
context of the many issues which were being addressed
on
23 September
2002,38
the Inquiry
has seen no evidence to indicate that the
difference
of view about what Mr Blair and Mr Hoon had agreed was
anything
other than
a genuine misunderstanding.
130.
Mr Blair
discussed the issues with Mr Hoon on 23
September.
131.
Following that
meeting, Mr Watkins informed officials in the MOD
that:
“The Prime
Minister is content for us to proceed broadly as set out in my
letter
of
20 September. The Prime Minister remains very cautious about
the viability
of Package
3, not least because of its implications for our ability to meet
other
contingencies
and the significant cost premium entailed. In the light of this,
Mr Hoon
believes
that it is all the more necessary heavily to caveat this
possibility in contacts
with the
US. We should emphasise that it is at the limits of what we could
offer and
that –
because of other potential demands on our Armed Forces including
FRESCO
– we cannot
be sure that we could deliver it. The US must therefore
examine
carefully
how they would plan the campaign in the absence of such a
contribution.”39
132.
The packages
that might be offered to the US were to be conveyed in
terms
cleared
with Mr Hoon’s Private Office.
37
Manuscript
comment Blair on Minute Manning to Prime Minister, 22 September
2002, ‘Iraq: Possible
UK Military
Contribution’.
38
Preparations
for publication of the WMD dossier and statement/debates in
Parliament on
24 September 2002.
39
Minute
Watkins to DG Op Pol, 23 September 2002, ‘Iraq: Meeting with the
Prime Minister:
23 September’.
220