10.2 |
Reconstruction: July 2004 to July 2009
545.
Ms Aldred sent
a “strategic agenda for action” to UK military officers and
officials
working in
Basra the following day, seeking advice which:
“•
… looks
innovatively and ambitiously at options to deliver our
strategic
objectives,
including potential resources implications; and
•
clearly
indicates … a critical path to success”.
546.
Mr Blair
met President Talabani and, separately, Prime Minister Maliki in
Iraq on
22
May.313
Both men
asked Mr Blair whether media reports that the UK was looking
to
withdraw
from Iraq were accurate.
547.
Mr Blair’s
Private Secretary recorded that Prime Minister Maliki had
highlighted the
contribution
that “economic reform and prosperity” could make to tackling
terrorism and
insecurity.314
Terrorists
were exploiting the lack of basic services to create
dissatisfaction.
Prime
Minister Maliki hoped the international community, including Iraq’s
neighbours,
would help
achieve rapid progress in this area and asked for Mr Blair’s
help to mobilise
international
support. Mr Blair said that he would be happy to do
this.
548.
Mr Blair
proposed, and Prime Minister Maliki agreed, that one element
to
mobilising
international support would be to show results in one or two key
areas, such
as security
and electricity supplies in Baghdad. Prime Minister Maliki said
that he was
working
with MNF-I and ISF to develop a Baghdad security plan, which would
allow an
increase in
electricity supply.
549.
A joint
statement issued by the two Prime Ministers at a press conference
after
their
meeting stated that they had “discussed the situation in Basra and
agreed to work
closely on
ensuring greater security and stability there”. A high level Iraqi
delegation
would visit
Basra soon.
550.
The day after
Mr Blair left Iraq, Sir Nigel Sheinwald wrote to
Mr Straw’s Principal
Private
Secretary to set out Mr Blair’s view of priorities for
Iraq.315
The key
elements
were:
“•
Drawing up
a timetable
with conditions setting out
the potential path to
MNF withdrawal
…
•
To ensure
improved ISF
build-up …
•
Backing
the Baghdad
security and electricity plans. As
the PM [Mr Blair] set
out to
Maliki, the new Iraqi Government will need to show early progress
on
these
priority issues …
313
Letter
Banner to Siddiq, 22 May 2006, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s Meeting with
Talabani’; Letter Banner to
Siddiq, 22
May 2006, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s Meeting with Nouri
al-Maliki’.
314
Letter
Banner to Siddiq, 22 May 2006, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s Meeting with
Nouri al-Maliki’ attaching
Paper,
[undated], ‘Joint Statement about the Visit of the UK Prime
Minister’.
315
Letter
Sheinwald to Hayes, 23 May 2006, ‘Iraq’.
287