The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
Asked about
the limits of the forces deployed by the US and the consequential
importance
of the UK’s
role in protecting the US flank, Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fry
told the
Inquiry,
“we were taking a risk, we knew we were taking a
risk”.304
DSF1 told
the Inquiry:
“The force
levels were limited, there was no force that could be put out into
the
Euphrates
Valley because there was no force available. The force was capable
of
knocking
off, with the air and the land and the marine manoeuvre, it was
[cap]able of
removing
the Republican Guard and the force that was in place. It was not
capable of
459.
Mr Blair
made a statement to the House of Commons on 14 April, reporting
that
“less than
four weeks” from the outset of the conflict “the regime of Saddam
is gone,
the bulk of
Iraq is under Coalition control and the vast majority of Iraqis are
rejoicing
at Saddam’s
departure”.306
460.
Mr Blair
continued: “Whatever the problems following Saddam’s collapse –
and
in the
short term they are bound to be serious – let no-one be in any
doubt: Iraq is a
better
place without Saddam.” Mr Blair added: “British forces have
performed in Iraq with
extraordinary
skill, professionalism and compassion. We can be deeply proud of
them.”
461.
Mr Blair
gave the House of Commons the following assessment of the
situation
in Iraq:
“The South
of Iraq is now largely under British control. The West is secure,
and
in the
major town of al-Qa’im fighting is diminishing. In the North,
Kurdish forces
have
retired from Kirkuk and Mosul, leaving US forces in control. US
forces are in
and around
Tikrit. They are meeting some resistance. But in essence, all over
Iraq,
Saddam’s
forces have collapsed. Much of the remaining fighting, particularly
in
Baghdad, is
being carried out by irregular forces. In Baghdad itself, the
Americans
are in
control of most of the city but not yet all of it.
“As is
obvious, the problem is now the disorder following the regime’s
collapse.
Some
disorder, frankly, is inevitable. It will happen in any situation
where a brutal
police
state that for 30 years has terrorised a population is suddenly
destroyed.
Some
looting, too, is directed at specific regime targets, including
hospitals that were
dedicated
for the use of the regime. But it is a serious situation and we
need to work
urgently to
bring it under control.”
462.
Mr Blair’s
description of the next phase of activity in Iraq is set out in
Section 9.1.
304
Public
hearing, 16 December 2009, page 42.
305
Private
hearing, 2010, page 17.
306
House of
Commons, Official
Report, 14 April
2003, columns 615-617.
84