The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
1350.
When Adm Boyce
visited Turkey in late January, Mr Westmacott reported
that
there were
no instructions to reply to Mr Hoon’s letter.515
1351.
At Cabinet on
9 January Mr Hoon reported his visit to Turkey and the
sensitivities
about
actions involving Iraq.516
1352.
Other issues
discussed are addressed in Section 3.6.
1353.
Mr Blair
told Cabinet that there would be an “in‑depth” discussion on Iraq
the
following
week.
1354.
Adm Boyce
updated Gen Myers on the outcome of the visit on
9 January and
outlined
the UK’s
“commitment to operations in southern Iraq.”517
1355.
The report of
the discussion also stated that the US could stay poised for
military
operations
for 3‑4 months.
1356.
On 11 January,
Mr Straw discussed the Turkish position with Secretary
Powell,
including
the need to avoid Turkey being drawn into any conflict in Iraq and
the
practicalities
of the northern option.518
1357.
Reporting from
the British Embassy Washington showed that similar
concerns
about
permission had been discussed during Mr Ricketts’
visit.519
1358.
Sir Kevin
Tebbit told the Inquiry that it was not until early January that
the northern
option was
“absolutely blocked off” after he and Mr Hoon went to Ankara
“to make one
final
effort to clarify what was going on”, including to secure
“overflight rights for aircraft
and
supplies”.520
But it had
become “increasingly difficult to rely on the northern
option”
from late
November into December.
1359.
Mr Hoon
told the Inquiry that his awareness of the difficulties with Turkey
grew
“towards
the end” of 2002.521
The UK had
been alerted to the likely attitude of Turkey by
Secretary
Powell. When Mr Hoon had visited in early January 2003 he had
had “a very
rapid
history lesson”; “all they were talking about was what had happened
in the 1920s
and Britain
could not entirely be trusted”.
1360.
Mr Hoon
stated that he did not think the decision to abandon the northern
option
was taken
until after his visit to Ankara, when he formed the view that “we
would never
515
Telegram 33
Ankara to FCO London, 24 January 2003, ‘CDS’s Call on Turkish CHOD:
Iraq’.
516
Cabinet
Conclusions, 9 January 2003.
517
Minute
Zambellas to PS/Secretary of State [MOD], 10 January 2003, ‘CDS
Telephone call to CJCS:
9 Jan
03’.
518
Letter
Straw to Manning, 13 January 2003, ‘Iraq: Conversation with Colin
Powell, 11 January’.
519
Telegram 46
Washington to FCO London, 14 January 2003, ‘Iraq: US Military
Planning’.
520
Public
hearing, 3 December 2009, pages 55‑56.
521
Public
hearing, 19 January 2010, pages 58‑60.
374