The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
438.
The paper did
not address the scale of the potential UK
contribution.
439.
Mr Drummond
explained that the IPU would take forward detailed planning,
aiming
for a paper
that Sir David Manning could send to Dr Rice for Mr Blair to
discuss with
President
Bush the following week.
440.
It is not
clear whether Mr Blair saw the paper.
441.
Sir David
Manning instructed Mr Cannon to “have [a] first look + mark
up”, but
there is no
evidence of further action.199
442.
The Inquiry
has seen no comment on the paper from No.10.
443.
There is no
indication that Mr Drummond’s paper was discussed further or
that
the IPU
prepared a second paper before Mr Blair’s conversation with
President Bush
on 19 February.
444.
On 14
February, Secretary Rumsfeld identified lessons for Iraq from
the
experience
of nation-building in Afghanistan. The goal in Iraq was not to
impose
a US
template, but to create conditions for Iraqis to form their own
government.
445.
Secretary
Rumsfeld stated that a US-led Coalition in Iraq would stay as
long
as
necessary and leave as soon as possible.
446.
In a speech in
New York on 14 February, Secretary Rumsfeld drew lessons for
Iraq
from the US
experience of nation-building in Afghanistan:
“Afghanistan
belongs to the Afghans. The objective is not to engage in what
some
call
nation-building. Rather it is to help the Afghans so they can build
their own
nation.
This is an important distinction. In some nation-building exercises
well-
intentioned
foreigners … can create a dependency.”200
447.
Secretary
Rumsfeld stated that a US-led Coalition in Iraq would be guided by
two
commitments,
to “[s]tay as long as necessary and to leave as soon as
possible”:
“We would
work with our partners as we are doing in Afghanistan to help the
Iraqi
people
establish a new government …
“The goal
would not be to impose an American-style template on Iraq, but
rather to
create
conditions where Iraqis can form a government in their own unique
way, just
as the
Afghans did with the Loya Jirga which produced a representative
government
that is
uniquely Afghan.
199
Manuscript
comment Manning to Cannon, 18 February 2003, on Minute Drummond to
Manning,
14 February
2003, ‘Iraq: Winning the Peace’ attaching Paper OD Secretariat, 11
February 2003,
‘Iraq: Post
Conflict: Key Messages’.
200
US
Department of Defense, 14 February 2003, Speech:
Beyond Nation Building.
386