10.2 |
Reconstruction: July 2004 to July 2009
346.
Mr Blair
met Prime Minister Ja’afari on 27 June.198
347.
Mr Quarrey’s
briefing for Mr Blair suggested that the main points to cover
included:
•
The
International Conference. The UK judged that the Conference had
been
a success,
even if concrete outcomes had been thin.
•
Reconstruction.
The UK was constantly pressing for the better use of
reconstruction
funds “so that we get a political
dividend”. The UK should
encourage
Prime Minister Ja’afari to take a similarly close
interest.
348.
Mr Quarrey’s
record of the meeting indicates that the discussion focused
on
security
and the constitutional process, and that reconstruction was not
raised.199
349.
On 5 July, the
British Embassy Baghdad provided an assessment on
progress
on donor
co-ordination.200
Some
progress had been made before and during the
International
Conference, but a gap was emerging between Iraqi expectations
(more
money) and
what was needed (better Iraqi strategy and clearer priorities). The
ITG
had advised
donors to “do anything, because everything is a
priority”.
350.
Mr Blair
met President Bush in the margins of the G8 Summit on 7 July
(see
Section
9.4).201
Mr Blair
said that the US and UK objective must be to divide
Sunni
insurgents
from foreign jihadists.
351.
At its meeting
on 13 July, the JIC reviewed the effectiveness of efforts to
bring
Sunni Arabs
into the political process.202
It judged
that:
“Winning
over Iraq’s Sunni Arab population is key to reducing the
insurgency
over time
…”
352.
Sunni
political and insurgent groups did not have a unified strategy.
There was a
range of
Sunni political objectives: demand for a timetable for MNF
withdrawal and the
release of
detainees featured strongly. The JIC continued:
“Sunnis
also want to ensure they benefit economically from Iraq’s natural
resources
(held in
predominately Shia and Kurd areas), gain access to jobs and
markets, and
see greater
evidence of reconstruction – so far efforts to rebuild Sunni areas
have
been
disproportionally hampered by the security situation.”
198
Minute
Quarrey to Blair, 24 June 2005, ‘Iraq: Your meeting with Prime
Minister Ja’afari, 27 July [sic]’.
199
Letter
Quarrey to Siddiq, 27 June 2005, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s Meeting
with Jaafari’.
200
eGram
8254/05 Baghdad to FCO London, 5 July 2005, ‘Iraq: Donor
Coordination Sitrep and Prospects
for Amman
Donor Conference’.
201
Letter
Sheinwald to Adams, 8 July 2005, ‘Prime Minister’s Meeting with
President Bush, 7 July’.
202
JIC
Assessment, 14 July 2005, ‘Iraq: Outreach to Sunni
Arabs’.
255