The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
1058.
It was agreed
that Ministers would discuss the question again on 3 June.
Mr Blair
reiterated
his request for a “full, detailed plan on Iraqi-isation of security
forces” in time
for the
meeting.
1059.
Mr Hoon
told Cabinet on 27 May that the British divisional commander in
Basra
had
requested a “modest reinforcement”, consistent with the policy of
keeping force
levels
under review.591
The
reinforcement would involve about 600 additional troops.
In
discussion,
the point was made that consideration of a more substantial
reinforcement in
Iraq was
continuing.
1060.
Mr Hoon
told Parliament later on 27 May that a further 370592
troops would
deploy
to Iraq in
response to Maj Gen Stewart’s request for MND(SE), bringing “the
total of UK
forces in
Iraq to about 8,900”.593
1061.
Sir Kevin
Tebbit was not present at Mr Blair’s meeting on 27 May, but
when he
saw the
record of the discussion he expressed concern that Ministers and
their advisers
might have
been talking at cross-purposes.594
1062.
In a minute to
Mr Hoon he suggested that the record of the
meeting:
“… read as
if the Prime Minister was in danger of believing that the
options
developed
are based on operational military judgements of what is needed
for
the success
of the overall mission, when it can equally be argued that they
are
operational
military judgements of how best to proceed if Ministers decide
there is
an
overriding political need to do more.”
1063.
Sir Kevin
argued that the 25 May letter to Mr Rycroft on the US request
had
represented
the Chiefs’ advice on what “could” be done if Ministers wished
something
to be done,
rather than what “needed” to be done for purely military purposes.
His own
view was
that no final decisions should be taken on additional UK
deployments until
after
agreement had been reached on the future role of Coalition troops
in Iraq following
the
transfer of sovereignty. He also took the view that no further
military contribution
should be
considered without a reassurance that the FCO and DFID could put
their own
resources
in as well “to help produce the broader security
result”.
1064.
Mr Hoon
annotated the minute “I agree with this – what would be the
Chiefs’
advice on
what needs to be done?”
1065.
In a video
conference with President Bush on 26 May, Mr Blair supported
an idea
from
Mr Brahimi that Iraqi Ministers should present to the UN when
the new resolution
591
Cabinet
Conclusions, 27 May 2004.
592
The Inquiry
has no evidence for why the net increase changed from 550 to
370.
593
House of
Commons, Official
Report, 27 May
2004, column 1725.
594
Minute
Tebbit to Hoon, 28 May 2004, ‘Iraq: UK military presence’ including
Manuscript comment Hoon,
29 May
2004.
380