The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
882.
On 31
October Mr Blair agreed that the MOD could offer Package 3 to
the US
on the same
basis as Package 2.
883.
Sir David
Manning commented to Mr Blair that Mr Watkins’ letter of
29 October
was:
“Further pressure from MOD on Package 3. This is based on military
planning cycle
… not the
UN/Political realties.”345
•
Is the
timing realistic any more?
•
Would the
Turks have us?
•
Could we
backtrack if we gave a firmer commitment?
•
Can we
afford Package 3?
885.
Sir David
also wrote alongside the MOD argument that Package 3 would
reduce
the UK’s
vulnerability to a US request for a substantial post‑conflict
contribution:
“This supposes
we w[ou]ld agree to such costly requests.”
886.
Mr Powell
wrote a manuscript note to Mr Blair stating:
“The
military are making another effort to bounce you into a decision on
option 3 …
US
timelines are slipping and we do not have to decide
yet.”346
887.
On 31 October,
Mr Blair, Mr Straw, Mr Hoon and Adm Boyce discussed
the MOD
wish to
offer Package 3 to the US for planning purposes.347
888.
Adm Boyce
stated that US planning was proceeding on the assumption that
there
would not
be a UK land contribution. The US was “unwilling to approach the
Turks about
a possible
UK contribution until they had a firmer indication” of likely UK
commitment.
If the “UK
wanted to keep open the option of a land contribution and be able
to
influence
the planning process”, the US needed to be told that the land
package could
be assumed
on the same basis as the other two packages. That “would not be a
final
commitment
to a UK land contribution”.
889.
Adm Boyce and
Mr Hoon added that the US timetable was slipping beyond
the
possible
early January start date:
“As a
result the earlier tight timelines on warning UK Reservists no
longer applied …
a warning
notice would not be required until the middle of
November.”
345
Manuscript
comment Manning on Letter
Watkins to Manning,
29 October
2002, ‘Iraq: UK Military Options’.
346
Note
(handwritten) Powell to Prime Minister, [undated], ‘Iraq:
Troops’.
347
Letter
Wechsberg to Watkins, 31 October 2002, ‘Iraq: Military
Options’.
310