8 | The
invasion
78.
Adm Boyce
defined the “Strategic Military Objective” as:
“To support
the Coalition effort, within allocated resources, to create the
conditions
in which
Iraq is disarmed in accordance with its obligations under
UNSCRs
[UN Security
Council Resolutions].”
79.
Adm Boyce
directed Lt Gen Reith to “assume the UK Phase IV AO will be
centred
on
Basra”.48
In line
with the military plan approved by Mr Blair on 14 March, the
Directive
stated
that, to “assist the Coalition in a timely and successful Phase III
and to help in
shaping
Phase IV conditions in the UK AO”, Lt Gen Reith should exploit no
further north
than an
east – west line running 90km south of al-Kut, ending at a point
50km north-east
of
al-Amara.
80.
Adm Boyce’s
order to Lt Gen Reith stated:
•
“My
Directive provides initial planning guidance on post-conflict
operations
(Phase
IV)”; and
•
“further
planning guidance for Phase IV will be issued
separately”.
81.
The language
on military tasks for the post-conflict period was unchanged from
the
version of
the Directive dated 4 March (see Section 6.5). Tasks
included:
“h.
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.
…
k. Deter
opportunistic inter-ethnic and inter-communal
conflict.
l. Within
available resources, be prepared to support humanitarian efforts to
mitigate
the
consequences of conflict.
m. As
quickly as possible, establish a safe and secure environment within
which
humanitarian
aid agencies are able to operate.
…
p. If
directed, be prepared to contribute to the reform of Iraq’s
security forces.”
82.
The Directive
retained the reference from the 4 March draft to Adm Boyce’s
“current
intent …
that the UK should aim to draw down its deployed force to medium
scale within
four months
of commencing offensive operations.”
48
Minute CDS
to CJO, 18 March 2003, ‘Op TELIC: Authorisation for Military
Operations in Iraq’
attaching Paper
‘Chief of Defence Staff Execute Directive to the Joint Commander
for Operation TELIC
(Phases 3
and 4)’.
17