The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
1121.
Mr Straw
advised Mr Blair that much greater clarity was needed on
US
thinking on
post-conflict issues.
1122.
Mr Blair
concluded that Mr Straw’s concerns should not affect his
decision
to deploy
forces.
1123.
Mr Hoon wrote
to Mr Blair on 16 January seeking agreement to the “key role
in
southern
Iraq” proposed by the US for the UK.542
The letter,
described in more detail in
Section
6.2, was copied to Mr Straw, Mr Brown and Sir Andrew
Turnbull.
“Important
questions remain to be resolved … But the role proposed for the UK
is
a sensible
and significant one, and I recommend that with certain
qualifications, we
accept it.
We need to decide quickly.”
1125.
Mr Hoon added
that equipment and personnel would need to be moved early
the
following
week and that, if Mr Blair agreed, he proposed:
“… to
announce the composition and deployment of the force in an oral
statement
on Monday
20 January.”
1126.
Mr Hoon wrote
that the proposed role for the UK was “essentially as described
in
my Office’s
letter of 8 January”:
“The final
UK Divisional Area of Responsibility, including for aftermath
operations,
would be an
area bounded by the Iraq/Kuwait border in the south, Jalibah
airfield in
the west,
the Euphrates in the north, and the Shatt al Arab waterway in the
east – a
largely
Shia area of some 1,600 sq km [see Map 5 in Annex 4].”
1127.
Mr Hoon
advised that:
“… a number
of issues still need finally to be resolved, before we can conclude
that
the overall
US plan represents a winning concept. These include the legal
basis
for any
operation as well as the credibility of plans for the aftermath,
which the US
accept will
begin concurrently with combat operations.
…
“Assuming
that outstanding issues can be resolved, I and the Chiefs of Staff
are
content
that the role proposed for a UK ground force is both sensible and
attractive.
The plan
will need further development to address a number of specific
challenges
(oilfields,
displaced persons, handling Iran, etc) …
“The
proposed final [UK] Area of Responsibility is a coherent one with
largely
natural
geographical boundaries … and includes economic infrastructure
critical to
542
Letter Hoon
to Blair, 16 January 2003, ‘Iraq: UK Land
Contribution’.
302