The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
•
Turning
around the situation in Basra,
following
the Prime Minister’s private
conversation
with Maliki. This will require
{{a
political understanding with parties representing the spectrum of
political
opinion
there;
{{a
package of UK and international reconstruction
assistance;
{{a larger
role and presence for the Iraqi forces, working alongside
UK
forces …
•
Promoting
international
support for the new
Government …
•
Ensuring
that Arab
countries respond
positively to requests for assistance from
the new
Iraqi Government …
•
Stepping up
our outreach
activities
to both Sunni and Shia militants … to
ensure that
they are given opportunity and incentives to participate in
the
political
process …
•
Capacity
building for Iraqi
ministries. We need a paper setting out our and the
US’s
current assistance … and a plan for addressing the
gaps.”
551.
Sir Nigel’s
letter alerted members of DOP(I) that Mr Blair was likely to
want to
discuss
these issues the next time they met.
552.
Mr Dinham
told the Inquiry that Mr Blair’s visit took place at a point
when
security
was deteriorating and “there wasn’t an awful lot that was strongly
visible” on
reconstruction.316
Work to
build the capacity of the Iraqi Government was
progressing
but was
“below the radar” and DFID’s infrastructure and essential services
projects had
taken some
time to “get off the ground”:
“So I think
what he [Mr Blair] wanted was – I think what we all wanted –
was to have
some
visible effect.”
553.
DOP(I) met on
25 May.317
Mr Blair
told the meeting that the UK should focus on:
•
the
development of the ISF;
•
seeing
progress in Basra; and
•
supporting
the Iraqi Government’s efforts to restore security and
electricity
provision
in Baghdad.
554.
Minsters
commented that:
•
DFID was
seconding two officials to Deputy Prime Minister Salih’s office, to
help
with
planning and preparation for a donor conference in
September.
•
The key to
further progress on electricity production lay in co-operation
between
Iraqi
ministries and the development of realistic plans, rather than
donor funding.
316
Public
hearing, 17 December 2010, pages 65-66.
317
Minutes, 25
May 2006, DOP(I) meeting.
288