10.2 |
Reconstruction: July 2004 to July 2009
1023.
Section 10.3
describes the growing pressure on UKTI from spring 2008 to
post
a
Commercial Officer to Baghdad, in response to the increased
interest in Iraq from
UK companies.
1024.
Mr Brown’s
Assistant Private Secretary wrote to Mr Richard Abel,
Mr Mandelson’s
Principal
Private Secretary, on 18 December informing him that Mr Brown
believed,
following
his visit to Iraq the previous day, that there were opportunities
in Iraq and
interest
from British companies that were not being
exploited.601
Mr Brown
was
convinced
that there was an urgent need for a significant UKTI presence in
both
Baghdad and
Basra, both to consolidate security gains and to ensure that UK
investors
had every
chance to benefit from commercial opportunities in Iraq.
Mr Brown asked
UKTI to
start planning immediately for a long-term presence in Iraq,
consulting
Mr Wareing
and DFID.
1025.
Mr Abel
replied to No.10 on 16 January 2009, advising that an
International
Business
Specialist would deploy to Iraq later that month and would
make
recommendations
on UKTI’s future footprint in Iraq by the end of
March.602
Mr Abel
added:
“There will be no gap in our commercial representation in
Iraq.”
1026.
The
International Business Specialist arrived in Baghdad at the end of
January.603
He was
joined by a second UKTI consultant on 12 February.604
1027.
Iraqi
authorities took control of Basra Airport in January 2009;
transferring
control of
the airport by the end of 2008 had been one of the UK’s key goals
for 2008.
903
Expeditionary Air Wing had operated Basra Airport since
2003.605
1028.
Mr Brown
was informed on 14 December 2008 that the transfer of
control
was
“effectively completed”.606
Since July,
the Iraqi civil authorities at Basra Airport
had
taken on control of air-traffic control, the airport fire
brigade, and other services.
The final stage
would be a formal transfer of legal responsibility for Basra
Airport to
the Iraqi
Government.
1029.
Control of
Basra Airport was formally transferred to the Iraqi Government
on
1030.
During the
period that Basra Airport was operated by the UK military, it
received
significant
funding from a variety of military and civilian sources (including
US
CERPs and
the UK’s Stabilisation Aid Fund). The Inquiry has not been able to
form
601
Letter
APS/Prime Minister to Abel, 18 December 2008, ‘UKTI presence in
Iraq’.
602
Letter Abel
to Catsaras, 16 January 2009, untitled.
603
Report
DFID, 1 February 2009, ‘Weekly Update: 1st
February
2009’.
604
Report
DFID, 15 February 2009, ‘Weekly Update: 15th
February
2009’.
605
Report
Salmon, 15 May 2009, ‘COMUKAMPHIBFOR OP TELIC 12/13 (HQ MND(SE)
Post Operational
Report
(POR)’.
606
Minute Lyon
to Prime Minister, 14 December 2008, ‘Visit to Iraq, 17
December’.
607
Report
Salmon, 15 May 2009, ‘COMUKAMPHIBFOR OP TELIC 12/13 (HQ MND(SE)
Post Operational
Report
(POR)’.
363