4.2 |
Iraq WMD assessments, July to September 2002
363.
An email from
an official in the Assessments Staff at 1pm on 11 September
stated:
“We have
now received comments back from No.10 … Unsurprisingly they
have
further
questions and areas they would like expanded.”173
364.
The official
wrote that the “main comments” from No.10 were:
“1. They
liked the use of a specific personality … in the paras on CW. Can
we add
any more
personalities, related to BW, nuclear, BM [ballistic missiles], who
are doing
jobs now
that are suspiciuos [sic] because of their previous role
…
“2. Is
there any intelligence that Iraq has actively sought to employ
foreign experts,
in
particular in the nuclear field?
“3. They
want more details on the items procured for their nuclear programme
– how
many did
they buy, what does this equate to in terms of significance to a
nuclear
programme?
“4. Can we
say how many chemical and biological weapons Iraq currently
has
by type!
If we cant give weapons numbers can we give any idea on the
quantity
of agent
available!
“I
appreciate everyone, us included, has been around at least some of
these buoys
before,
particularly item 4.”
365.
The official
concluded:
“But No.10
through the Chairman want the document to be as strong as
possible
within the
bounds of avaialable [sic] intelligence. This is therefore a last
(!) call for
any items
of intelligence that agencies think can and should be
included.”
366.
In a
postscript, the official added:
“[…] we
have already discussed the continuing need to say something about
Iraq’s
capability
to make INDs [Improvised Nuclear Devices] (as per March JIC
paper).”
367.
The email was
not specific about who in No.10 was being quoted or how
the
message was
conveyed.
368.
A series of
internal emails within No.10 on 10 and 11 September,
some
of which
were written after the email from the Assessments Staff,
discussed
the approach
to be taken in the dossier.
173
Email
Assessments Staff [junior official] to “agencies and departments”,
11 September 2002,
‘Iraqi dossier
– Questions from No.10’.
183