The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
expected to
lead to a significant reduction in the overall level of UK troops
in Iraq from
around
8,500 to around 3,000 personnel.
343.
On 22 June,
over 80 countries and organisations participated in the
International
Conference
in Brussels.194
The
Conference was co-hosted by the EU and US.
Mr Straw
led the UK delegation. The Box below describes the UK’s engagement
in the
development
of the Conference.
344.
The UK
Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels (UKRep)
reported that,
at the
Conference, the ITG had set out its vision for the future and asked
the
international
community to provide more support. Iraq had received many
promises
in return;
both the Iraqi and the US delegations had emphasised the need to
translate
those into
action on the ground.
345.
UKRep
commented that the Conference had been “a further successful step”
in
enhancing
EU (and wider) engagement in Iraq, following the visit of the EU
Troika to Iraq
earlier
that month. UKRep had taken the opportunity to brief the EC on the
help it could
expect from
the UK in opening an office in Baghdad; UKRep would keep pushing
to
achieve
that by the end of the year.
Planning
began in early 2005 for an International Conference on Iraq, to be
co-hosted
by the
EU and US.
Mr Straw
advised Mr Blair on 24 March that the UK was working closely
with the US to
define the
scope and objectives of the Conference.195
Key
objectives included:
•
ensuring an
inclusive process to build a wide base of international support for
the
Iraqi
political process; and
•
a reformed
approach to donor co-ordination.
US and UK
officials discussed the Conference on 31 March.196
The US saw
the ITG
being in
the lead, and using the Conference to set out their “broad
direction” and secure
international
support for it. Mr Crompton said that the UK agreed with that
approach, and
suggested
that “deliverables” from the Conference should
include:
•
agreement on
an improved mechanism for international assistance;
and
•
securing EU
support for the rule of law.
An FCO
official advised the 6 May meeting of the Iraq Strategy Group that
the EU and US
were not
working towards the “outcome orientated” Conference that the UK had
hoped
for.197
Sir Nigel
Sheinwald said that the UK should not invest enormous effort into
shaping
the
Conference as it was not “mission critical”.
194
Telegram
7391/05 UKRep Brussels to FCO London, 23 June 2005, ‘Iraq
International Conference,
Brussels 22
June’.
195
Minute
Straw to Prime Minister, 24 March 2005, ‘Iraq: Ad Hoc Ministerial
Meeting’.
196
Minute
Cabinet Office [junior official] to Sheinwald, 1 April 2005, ‘Iraq:
VTC with US Inter-Agency Team’.
197
Minute
Cabinet Office [junior official] to Sheinwald, 9 May 2006, ‘Iraq:
Strategy Group’.
254