The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
1248.
Mr Bowen
sent draft ‘British Post-Conflict Objectives’ to senior officials
in the
FCO, the
MOD and DFID on 25 March.527
The draft
incorporated earlier comments from
some
departments.
1249.
The draft
stated that it remained the UK’s wish to see Iraq:
“… become a
stable, united and law abiding state, within its present
borders,
co-operating
with the international community, no longer posing a threat to
its
neighbours
or to international security, abiding by all its international
obligations
and providing
effective and representative government to its own
people.”
It
added:
“Our
objective is to create conditions for a future Iraqi government
which will act to
make this
aspiration a reality. We will work with the Iraqi people, the UN
and other
international
organisations, and the wider international community to this
end.”
1250.
The draft also
stated:
“British
forces will continue to contribute, for no longer than is necessary
at a
sustainable
level, to the US-led Coalition military presence in the interests
of
promoting a
secure environment in Iraq …
“We have
made plans with our international partners to assist the Iraqi
people in the
process of
transition. With others, we will assist in the return to full Iraqi
sovereignty
…
“With
others, we will help revive the Iraqi economy and assist reform
by:
a. working
with the UN to manage Iraq’s oil revenues in order to achieve
the
maximum
benefit for the Iraqi people in an accountable and transparent
manner;
b.
supporting an international programme for the reconstruction and
repair of Iraq’s
infrastructure
…;
c.
fostering economic reform …;
d. agreeing
a comprehensive financial framework of transitional support for
Iraq …;
e. helping
reform Iraq’s public administration …;
f.
supporting the observance of human rights, and legal and judicial
reform …;
g. helping
Iraq generate reformed and accountable security forces acting
in
accordance
with international human rights standards.”
527
Letter
Bowen to Chaplin, 25 March 2003, ‘Iraq: Post Conflict Objectives’
attaching Paper [draft],
25 March
2003, ‘Iraq: British Post-Conflict Objectives’.
532