The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
“The text
is now being shared with US contacts. The purpose of this is to
ensure
that there
are no surprises and that our Vision is consistent with any similar
exercise
that the US
plans to conduct. We do not though plan to produce a joint document
or
simply to
reflect US views in our own.”432
1020.
Changes to the
earlier text circulated on 28 February included:
•
removal of
the reference to freedom from the fear of torture;
•
under the
heading “Good Government”, removal of the words “and
democratic”
from the
phrase “an independent and democratic Iraq”;
•
removal of
the commitment to work “to ensure a military campaign is as
swift
and
carefully targeted as possible”;
•
the
addition of a commitment to “prioritise resources to feed and care
for the
people of
Iraq”;
•
a reference
to enabling the Iraqi people to establish their own
“effective
representative
government” to replace the earlier reference to
establishing
“democratic
government”;
•
“Seeking a
fair and sustainable solution to Iraq’s debt problems” in place
of
“Negotiating
generous debt rescheduling”;
•
the
addition of a commitment to help “the transition to a more
prosperous and
dynamic
economy”; and
•
the
addition of a reference to Iraq’s oil industry being managed
“fairly and
1021.
Mr Straw’s
Private Office explained to No.10 that “Washington is
negotiating
with the
NSC on the Vision for Iraq. We hope to ensure that the final
version has the
presentational
impact of the UK’s … draft.”434
1022.
The FCO also
suggested that Mr Blair talk to Mr Annan from the Azores.
Key
messages
might include: “look forward to the United Nations having a
significant role
after any
conflict in helping Iraq move quickly towards new prosperity and
stability”.
432
Minute
Bristow to Private Secretary [FCO], 14 March 2003, ‘A Vision for
Iraq and the Iraqi People’.
433
Letter Owen
to Rycroft, 15 March 2003, ‘Azores Summit’ attaching Paper FCO, ‘A
Vision for Iraq and
the Iraqi
people’.
434
Letter Owen
to Rycroft, 15 March 2003, ‘Azores Summit’.
494