6.5 |
Planning and preparation for a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, January to
March 2003
civil
government in a UK sector. We [the AHGI] agreed that Ministers
needed to give
this
question their urgent attention.”
742.
On 4 March,
Adm Boyce issued the first draft of the Execute Directive
for
Op TELIC,
for planning and guidance purposes only.
743.
He
instructed Lt Gen Reith to work closely with US commanders
on
preparations
of Phase IV.
744.
Adm Boyce
issued the first version of the Execute Directive for Op TELIC
on
4 March.326
In his
covering minute to Lt Gen Reith, he explained that the Directive
was
being
issued in draft form for planning and guidance purposes only. It
was to be read
on the
clear understanding that no political decision had yet been taken
on combat
operations,
but “events could move very fast”. Lt Gen Reith’s focus would be to
work
closely
with US commanders “on all aspects of potential operations in
support of
Phases III
and IV”.
745.
The Directive
itself was addressed to the Commander Joint Operations (Lt
Gen
Reith) and
listed three objectives “in Support of the UK’s Higher Political
Intent:
(1) Support
efforts of humanitarian organisations to mitigate the
consequences
of hostilities.
(2)
Facilitate international efforts for the rehabilitation and
reconstruction of Iraq.
(3)
Contribute to the preservation of the territorial integrity of Iraq
and the wider
746.
A number of
specific tasks were linked to those objectives,
including:
•
“Protect,
and be prepared to secure, essential Iraqi political,
administrative and
economic
infrastructure from unnecessary destruction in order to reassure
the
Iraqi
people and facilitate rapid regeneration.”
•
“Deter
opportunistic inter-ethnic and inter-communal
conflict.”
•
“Within
available resources, be prepared to support humanitarian efforts
to
mitigate
the consequences of conflict.”
•
“As quickly
as possible, establish a safe and secure environment within
which
humanitarian
aid agencies are able to operate.”
•
“If
directed, be prepared to contribute to the reform of Iraq’s
security forces.”
747.
A final
version of the Directive, authorising military action in Iraq and
with the points
listed
above unchanged, was issued on 18 March.
326
Minute CDS
to CJO, 4 March 2003, ‘Chief of Defence Staff Execute Directive to
the Joint Commander
Operation
TELIC’.
327
Paper MOD,
28 February 2003, ‘Chief of Defence Staff Execute Directive to the
Joint Commander
Operation
TELIC’.
445