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6.5  |  Planning and preparation for a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, January to March 2003
1293.  Mr Fernie explained that the paper would be tabled at a Cabinet Office meeting
the next day. He added:
“We will discuss the process for the more comprehensive paper tomorrow afternoon
– it will be useful to show to No.10 and the Cabinet Office that DFID is not only the
natural lead on this approach but also has the human resources and experience to
dedicate to it.”
1294.  On 28 March, Mr Fernie sent the draft to the Cabinet Office as a “work‑in‑progress”
setting out some “preliminary ideas on reconstruction planning”.539 Mr Fernie explained
that the paper benefited from comments offered by FCO, MOD and Cabinet Office
officials at a meeting chaired by DFID, which had raised wider issues about how
reconstruction fitted with the UK’s overall approach to rebuilding Iraq and securing
international consensus behind that approach. DFID’s view was that the UK needed to
“start working now on a broader strategy which binds together the many bits of work
going on across Whitehall”.
1295.  The development of DFID’s approach to post-conflict reconstruction is addressed
in Section 10.1.
1296.  The extent of the work still to be done on planning and preparing for the
range of post-conflict tasks was apparent from a list of issues prepared by the
Cabinet Office on 28 March for consideration by the new Ad Hoc Ministerial Group
on Iraq Rehabilitation (AHMGIR).
1297.  On 28 March, Mr Drummond sent Mr Bowen a list of issues for consideration by
the AHMGIR, including, for some items, an assessment of current plans:
humanitarian assistance;
role of ORHA: “competence and UK links with and involvement in”;
wider UN role on reconstruction;
political process/fate of the Ba’ath Party: “Outline plan exists, not agreed with
US”;
economy: “Good contacts with US”;
reconstruction of infrastructure: “Depends on damage. Beginning now.
Disagreements with US on role of Iraqis”;
SSR: “Ideas offered to US, but no plan”;
public administration reform and service delivery: “No plan yet?”;
commercial opportunities: “Needs wider policy agreement with US”;
legal issues: “Some contact with US. No firm agreement. No plan”;
539 Letter Fernie to Drummond, 28 March 2003, ‘Iraq Reconstruction Planning’ attaching Paper DFID,
27 March 2003, ‘Iraq – Reconstruction Planning: Objectives and Approach’.
539
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