9.2 | 23
May 2003 to June 2004
1023.
Dr Rice
indicated US agreement with the sequence of events proposed
by
the UK,
including for the new resolution, on which Sir Nigel emphasised the
need to
maintain
momentum by sharing draft text (except on security arrangements).
They
agreed to
plan on the basis of an event in New York around 3 June, to be
attended by
the new
Iraqi Prime Minister, at which the resolution would be adopted.
This fitted with
the
proposal, supported by the French and others, to conclude the
resolution before the
anniversary
of the Normandy landings.
1024.
The following
day Mr Crompton wrote to Mr Straw’s Private Secretary to
say that
diplomatic
reporting from Washington suggested Secretary Powell was not
convinced
of the need
to adopt the resolution in early June.576
His
preference was to await
Mr Brahimi’s
conclusions on the make-up of the Interim Government, and
incorporate
them into
the resolution.
1025.
Sir David
Manning had also reported from Washington that
Ambassador
Negroponte
was resisting the call to share text with other Security Council
members
quickly,
preferring to wait for complete agreement between US agencies on
the text
1026.
Mr Crompton
wrote that there was a “broad degree of consensus”
between
Security
Council members on the main points for the resolution, including
that the detail
of security
arrangements should be dealt with by exchange of
letters.578
1027.
On the
security arrangements:
“The major
stumbling block is continued US insistence on a unified chain
of
command.
Politically, we see the need for an independent Iraqi chain of
command
… Iraqis
could voluntarily agree to assign troops to MNF for particular
operations,
through
agreed co-ordination mechanisms.”
1028.
Mr Crompton
endorsed a recommendation from Sir David Manning that
Mr Straw
should call
Mr Powell to resolve the problem. If it proved intractable, he
suggested that
consideration
should be given to sharing the draft text as “UK
alone”.
1029.
The fourth and
final update to the UN by the UK and US took place on
19 May.579
A Security
Council press release quoted Ambassador James Cunningham, for
the
US, saying
that: “30 June would mark a vital step towards realizing the goal
of an
independent
and stable Iraq” and that he:
“… urged
the international community to participate in the important task
of
expanding
the Iraqi security forces. That would facilitate the return of
United Nations’
576
Minute
Crompton to Private Secretary [FCO], 19 May 2004, ‘Iraq: SCR:
Foreign Secretary’s
Conversation
with Powell’.
577
Telegram
630 Washington to FCO London, 18 May 2004, ‘Iraq: New UNSCR: US
views’.
578
Minute
Crompton to Private Secretary [FCO], 19 May 2004, ‘Iraq: SCR:
Foreign Secretary’s
Conversation
with Powell’.
579
UN Security
Council, ‘4971st Meeting, 19 May 2004’ (SC/8097).
375