The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
321.
In the
background material for posts, not to be used with external
contacts, the
FCO
explained that Coalition Forces would become the de facto
government of Iraq as
soon as
Saddam Hussein fell. The UK would aim to hand back power to the
Iraqi people
as quickly
as possible, but would want to see Iraq “radically reformed for the
better”
before
doing so.
322.
The FCO
explained that the timing of the three stage transition was
uncertain.
Coalition
military rule was likely to last as long as it took to establish a
civilian
transitional
administration, “perhaps weeks, rather than many months”. The
transitional
administration
would last “rather longer”, as it would take time to agree
political
structures
to introduce reforms.
323.
The FCO stated
that Iraq had “a relatively sophisticated public administration”
and
expected
that:
“… it will
work adequately once the most senior old regime officials have
been
removed.
Iraq should not be like Kosovo, where ministries and public
services had
to be
created from scratch.”
324.
The FCO
explained that the role of the UN was “still a matter of active
debate” in
the US and
between the US and UK. It concluded:
“We are in
contact with a number of international players, including in
particular
the US,
about these sensitive matters. We are not making the content of
these
contingency
talks public. Nor should you.”
325.
The Chiefs
of Staff were briefed on the three-phase US Phase IV Plan
on
10 February.
They were told:
•
US planning
was evolving slowly because of disputes in Washington
about
the primacy
of the different bodies involved.
•
Without a
common approach to the underlying issues in the UK, it
would
not be
possible to exert influence on the US process.
326.
The Chiefs
of Staff commented that there would be a significant
requirement
for other
countries to share the post-conflict burden. The FCO undertook
to
explore the
issue.
327.
Maj Gen Fry
updated the Chiefs of Staff on US Phase IV planning on
10 February.159
The US had
divided Phase IV into three stages: IVa –
Stabilisation;
IVb –
Recovery; and IVc – Transition to Security.
159
Minute Fry
to COSSEC, 10 February 2003, ‘Aftermath Planning’ attaching Paper
DCJO(Ops),
10 February
2003, ‘Aftermath Planning’.
366