The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
a comprehensive
picture of the support provided to Basra Airport by the UK and
other
international
partners.
1031.
Mr Miliband’s
Private Secretary circulated a draft strategy for “UK policy
towards
and
relations with Iraq following military drawdown” to No. 10 and the
Private Offices
of NSID(OD)
Ministers on 13 January 2009.608
The draft
strategy had been agreed by
officials
from all interested departments and by
Mr Miliband.
1032.
The draft
strategy, which is described in detail in Section 9.7, stated that
the UK
had a
“strategic national interest in a strong, stable and non-hostile
Iraq that:
•
acts in
accordance with international law and does not threaten its
neighbours;
•
provides a
counterweight against Iran, ideally as a pro-Western state
…;
•
is able to
deny AQ-I [Al Qaida in Iraq] and other terrorist groups a safe
haven in
its
national territory;
•
contributes
positively to stable world energy markets by maximising its
potential
as a
producer and exporter of oil and gas, and increases EU energy
security
through
developing new supply routes.”
1033.
The draft
strategy identified a number of “essential” and “highly desirable”
factors
for
achieving the UK’s strategic interest of a “strong, stable and
non-hostile Iraq”. The
essential
factors included a “functioning economy”, which would require
agreement on
the
Hydrocarbons Law. Highly desirable factors included:
•
that Iraq
should be “a broadly democratic state”;
•
that Iraq
should address critical humanitarian issues, in particular the
large
number of
refugees and displaced people; and
•
that Iraq
should develop a strong and open market economy.
1034.
The draft
strategy listed a number of elements of a future Iraq/UK
relationship,
including:
•
Economic:
the UK would help build Iraqi capacity to deliver economic
growth
and
opportunity (DFID to lead).
•
Energy: the
UK would help Iraq to bring greater volumes of oil and gas to
the
market (FCO
and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
to
lead, with
MOD).
•
Commercial:
the UK should ensure a level playing field for UK firms in
Iraq
(UKTI/FCO
to lead).
•
Education
and culture: increased educational and cultural exchanges
would
underpin
other elements of the relationship.
608
Letter
Hickey to Catsaras, 13 January 2009, ‘Iraq: Strategy’, attaching
Paper [draft], [undated],
‘Iraq: a Review
of Strategy’.
364