9.2  |  23 May 2003 to June 2004

212.  On 9 July, Mr Rycroft wrote to Sir David Manning to recount a phone call from

Mr Sawers in Baghdad.87 He reported that Mr Sawers considered that troops in Basra

were “badly stretched”. The answer to several of his questions (for example, about

guarding specific sites) had been “we don’t have enough troops to do that”.

213.  Mr Sawers described his main security concern as the border with Iran in Maysan

Province, which might be seen as a soft target for attacks, and proposed that the UK

should “go back to having a full brigade, and crucially the HQ that goes with it, rather

than the battalion it now has”.

214.  Mr Rycroft had explained the MOD view that “more troops weren’t the answer

and that what was needed was progress on the political track”. Mr Sawers agreed this

would help but “just as there could be no purely military answer to the security issue,

so political progress would need to be underpinned by the military”.

215.  Sir David Manning sent Mr Rycroft’s minute to Mr Blair, annotating it:

“I still think we have too few troops on the ground. This discussion which Matthew

had with John Sawers in my absence confirms me in my views.”

216.  On 10 July, Mr Hoon’s Private Secretary wrote to Mr Rycroft to explain that:

“As at 3 July, there were a total of 13,404 UK military and civilian personnel

deployed in the Gulf region on activities relating to Operation TELIC … A process

of roulement is ongoing which is due to complete by 1 August. At that stage, the UK

presence in theatre is due to have reduced from its peak of around 46,000 to some

12,000 … By late August, it is expected that the number will fall … to around 10,500

across the three Services.”88

217.  Mr Rycroft provided Mr Blair with a copy of the letter, noting on it that:

“Our new area, comprising four provinces, comes into being on 12 July. 5,500

foreign troops will come into it.”

218.  At the meeting of the AHMGIR on 10 July, Mr Straw reported on his recent visit

to Baghdad and Basra.89 Iraqi political leaders he met had clearly welcomed the end

of Saddam Hussein’s regime, but not the US military presence. Even opponents of

the old regime felt that this was a humiliation for the Iraqis who had failed to remove

Saddam Hussein themselves.

219.  Ms Patricia Hewitt, the Trade and Industry Secretary, reported that she had also

visited Baghdad and attended a Women’s Conference. She expressed disappointment

that there were likely to be only four women in the GC. The political parties were refusing

to nominate women.

87  Minute Rycroft to Manning, 9 July 2003, ‘Iraq: John Sawers’ views’.

88  Letter Williams to Rycroft, 10 July 2003, ‘UK force levels in Iraq’ including Manuscript comment Rycroft.

89  Minutes, 10 July 2003, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation meeting.

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