8 | The invasion

436. In Basra, the water and electricity supplies were being fixed and order was being

restored with the exercise of civic responsibility by local Iraqis. A Joint Commission was

being established with the emerging leadership there. The intention was to spread the

same effect northwards.

437. Concluding the discussion, Mr Blair said that the military campaign in Iraq was

going extremely well, but there were challenges ahead on the humanitarian front,

in dealing with post-conflict arrangements and bringing together the international

community in the UN Security Council. Mr Blair reiterated his conclusion at the previous

meeting of Cabinet that making the lives of ordinary Iraqis better was key to success.

438. When Mr Blair spoke to President Bush on 10 April, they discussed the position

in Iraq, including the possibility of a major battle in Tikrit and the need to warn Syria

not to give refuge to regime figures or to scientists who knew about Iraq’s WMD.272

439. The UK AO was extended north to al-Amara in Maysan province on 11 April, when

Pathfinders from 16 Air Assault Brigade entered the city. The remainder of the force

entered on 12 April.273

440. Mr Hoon approved the extension of the UK AO to the whole of the provinces

of Basra and Maysan on 12 April.274

441. The background to that decision and subsequent developments are addressed

later in this Section.

According to Gen Franks’ account of his plan:

“… US, Brit, and Australian Special Operations Forces would control Iraq’s western

desert, preventing the regime freedom of action to launch long-range missiles

towards Jordan and Israel.” 275

Gen Franks described the combination of “several thousand” US Special Forces soldiers

and Special Mission troopers, plus “British and Australian Special Air Service operators”,

assembled in Jordan and Saudi Arabia ready to attack western Iraq as “the largest combat

formation of special operators in history”.

From 23 March, the MOD sent regular updates on Special Forces’ activities in Iraq

to No.10.276

23 March: UK Special Forces were deployed to Iraq’s western desert, conducting

operations to deny theatre ballistic missile operations.

272 Letter Rycroft to McDonald, 10 April 2003, ‘Prime Minister’s Conversation with Bush, 10 April’.

273 Minutes, 12 April 2003, Chiefs of Staff meeting.

274 Minute Watkins to CJO, 12 April 2003, ‘Iraq: Expansion of the UK AOR’.

275 Franks T & McConnell M. American Soldier. HarperCollins, 2004.

276 Letter Williams to Manning, 23 March 2003, ‘Update on Special Forces Activities’.

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