The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
926.
The Cabinet
Office also supplied a check list of points for Mr Blair,
which raised the
urgent need
to agree what would replace the CPA outside Baghdad after
transition, work
on which
had “scarcely started”.513
927.
The Cabinet
Office list went on to record the need for “genuine
partnership”
between the
MNF and Iraqi forces “including at high command level, if we are to
raise
the
performance of Iraqi security forces and tackle insurgents and
terrorists”.
928.
The IPU
supplied a paper on Iraq’s neighbours, which proposed
that:
“Developing
regional support for the political process is essential to build
the
legitimacy
of the new Iraqi political institutions and assist the
reconstruction
929.
The paper
divided neighbouring states into three groups: constructive,
cautious
and
difficult. IPU’s conclusion was that:
“We should
continue to engage all the neighbours on a bilateral
basis,
co-ordinating
our efforts with the US, and discreetly encourage
development
of the
neighbours group.”
930.
Mr Chris
Segar, Head of the British Office Baghdad, sent a paper on
everyday
life in
Baghdad, written in the voice of an Iraqi named
‘Mohammed’.515
Mr Segar
summarised
Mohammed’s concerns as:
“When will
I be able to go about my life without fearing for my safety and
that of
my family?
I have more faith in the Dinar these days; but I don’t have enough
of
them. Some
other things are better now too. But I’m not sure what is going on
in
the Green
Zone; and I don’t think there is anyone who represents me. Al
Jazeera
and Al
Arabiyya – and more people on the street – tell me that the
occupiers have
no respect
for my people. I’m glad that Saddam is gone; but will my children
have a
better life
here?”
931.
On security,
Mr Blair received a telegram from Mr Asquith describing
the situation
area by
area, and a minute from Maj Gen Stewart in MND(SE).
932.
Mr Asquith
wrote that:
“Fallujah
and Najaf continue to hang heavy over any security forecast. If the
storm
breaks
there, the effects will spread widely.
“The
overall security threat is high. There are regular attacks against
Coalition
Forces
(CF), Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and infrastructure targets across
the
513
Paper
Cabinet Office, 23 April 2004, ‘Non Fallujah Points for the
PM’.
514
Paper IPU,
22 April 2004, ‘Iraq: Role of Neighbours’.
515
Telegram
034 Baghdad to FCO London, 22 April 2004, ‘My Name is Mohammed (or
a Life in
Baghdad)’.
358