10.1 |
Reconstruction: March 2003 to June 2004
that most
[companies] are operating at 75 percent of their capacity
pending
security developments.
No UK or US funded contractor has withdrawn for Iraq.”
995.
Sir Kevin
outlined the actions the CPA was taking to enable contractors to
operate.
996.
Mr Drummond
circulated a report to members of ISOG on 16 April, setting
out
DFID’s plan
to support Iraq after transition.582
In Baghdad,
DFID planned to maintain
its support
for key ministries (including the Ministries of Finance, Planning
and
Development
Co-ordination, and Municipalities and Public Works) at around the
same
level, at
up to 20 advisers.
997.
The ‘UK
Transition Plan for Southern Iraq’, which had been commissioned by
the
AHMGIR on
18 March, was submitted to the 22 April meeting of the
AHMGIR.583
998.
The Annotated
Agenda for the meeting reported that security had
deteriorated
“markedly”
over Easter (9-12 April) and the risks to UK civilian staff in Iraq
were high.584
The
deployment of civilians had been reviewed and, as a temporary
measure, new
deployments
to Baghdad had been suspended and staff unable operate in the
current
security
environment had been withdrawn.
999.
The AHMGIR
approved the recommendation that all other staff should remain
in
Iraq
subject to continuing review.585
1000.
The ‘UK
Transition Plan for Southern Iraq’ considered the security,
political,
reconstruction
and representational aspects of transition.586
It stated
that the UK’s
focus
should on “helping the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own
future.” The main
challenges
would be:
•
maintaining
security;
•
helping
Iraqi citizens in the four Southern governorates to participate in
the
national
political process; and
•
promoting
economic recovery including job creation, and
rebuilding
Governorates
and local institutions.
1001.
The Plan was
based on the explicit assumption that the security situation
would
“calm
down”.
582
Letter
Drummond to Buck, 16 April 2004, ‘Iraq: The Transition’ attaching
Report DFID, April 2004, ‘DFID
Programme
Requirements in Southern Iraq from July 2004’.
583 Annotated
Agenda, 21 April 2004, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation meeting
attaching Paper,
[undated],
‘UK Transition Plan for Southern Iraq’.
584 Annotated
Agenda, 21 April 2004, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation
meeting.
585
Minutes, 22
April 2003, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation
meeting.
586
Paper,
[undated], ‘UK Transition Plan for Southern Iraq’.
173