The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
902.
Mr Browne
visited Kuwait and Iraq from 12 to 14 March in conjunction
with
Mr Wareing.530
Mr Browne
reported to Mr Brown that the mood in Iraq was
optimistic,
reflecting
the improved security situation, political progress and the new
focus on
economic
regeneration:
“Inevitably
in Iraq, the pace of change is slower than we would wish and
no-one
believes it
is irreversible, but we have an opportunity over the next year or
so
to
contribute to a step-change in the country’s economy and to put our
bilateral
relationship
onto a sustainable long-term footing. That does, however mean we
need
to redouble
our efforts now … to exploit the progress we have already
made.”
903.
On the
economic initiatives, discussions in Iraq had identified three
areas where
the UK
could do more:
•
reinforcing
the UK team in Basra and Baghdad. Gen Petraeus thought that
the
UK was
“under-gunned”;
•
re-doubling
the UK effort to unblock the investment and
hydrocarbons
legislation,
and to encourage international business to invest in Basra;
and
•
a
diplomatic initiative, with the US, to encourage a constructive
partnership
between
Basra and Kuwait.
904.
Mr Browne
commented that working alongside the US should help improve
the
UK’s
relationship with the US. Although Gen Petraeus had been polite
during their
meeting,
and also during his later meeting with Mr Wareing, he had
previously been
critical of
the scale of the UK’s non-military engagement in
Basra.
905.
The British
Embassy Baghdad reported that Gen Petraeus had spelt out
his
concerns in
his meeting with Mr Wareing:
“In his
[Gen Petraeus] view the UK had not been aggressive enough in
trying
to achieve
development change in Basra, and we needed to ‘increase
our
horsepower’…
He felt that the PM [Mr Brown] and the Foreign
Secretary
[Mr Miliband]
had promised much, but that he hadn’t seen much delivery …
he
would make
his concerns clear to the PM when he comes through the UK in
April.” 531
906.
The Embassy
commented that Gen Petraeus wanted the UK to set up an
office
in the
Green Zone in Baghdad to promote Basra, and to increase the UK
presence
in Basra.
907.
Mr Alexander
sent Mr Brown a further update on progress on the
economic
initiatives
on 31 March, in advance of the planned discussion of the UK’s Iraq
Strategy
at the
1 April meeting of NSID(OD).532
530
Letter
Browne to Brown, 18 March 2008, ‘Visit to Baghdad and
Kuwait’.
531
Telegram
10285/08 Baghdad to FCO London, 17 March 2008, ‘Michael Wareing to
Baghdad,
14 March’.
532
Letter
Alexander to Brown, 31 March 2008, [untitled].
342