The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
Dawa Party
and Dr Rowsch Shaways, President of the Kurdistan National
Assembly,
were
appointed as Deputy Presidents.
1071.
A press
conference was held in Baghdad by the Prime Minister, President
and
Mr Brahimi
to announce the new Government.
1072.
Almost
two-thirds of the Interim Government’s Cabinet were new faces; just
two
had also
held positions in the GC.614
The Council
of Ministers was composed largely of
technocrats,
some with political affiliations.
1073.
Mr Blair
telephoned Prime Minister Allawi on the day of his swearing
in.615
After
offering
his congratulations, Mr Blair stressed the importance of
getting UN Security
Council
endorsement of the Interim Government, and sought comments on the
draft text
of the
proposed resolution.
1074.
Mr Blair
encouraged Prime Minister Allawi to travel to New York
alongside
Foreign Minister
Zebari for the adoption of the resolution, and to make time to
speak
to the
Western media, which lacked a strong Iraqi voice.
1075.
Mr Blair
told President Bush later the same day that Prime Minister
Allawi
had come
across well in their conversation, and that he should speak to
the
1076.
The same group
of Ministers and officials who had assembled on 27 May
met
again on 3
June.617
Mr Hoon
and Gen Walker explained that:
“With
increasing Iraqiisation there should be a reduction, not increase,
in the number
of troops.
No more troops were required for the tasks currently assigned to
the UK in
MND(SE).
But if for other reasons (solidarity with the US, increased
influence in Iraq,
increased
likelihood of achieving strategic goal in Iraq) it was decided to
go ahead,
the optimal
military solution would be to provide both the ARRC as a three-star
HQ
to command
both MND(SE) and MND(CS) and a brigade of troops.”
1077.
After “a full
discussion” that was not described in the record of the
meeting,
Mr Blair
concluded that “the issue should be kept under advisement for now …
We should
only
consider an increased commitment if the new Iraqi Government
supported it.”
1078.
An MOD paper
on Iraqiisation was considered and it was agreed that a UK
team
should be
deployed to Iraq to draft “the equivalent of a white paper on
defence and
security”.
Mr Blair asked for an update on “what is actually happening in
MND(SE) in
terms of
handing over responsibility for security to the Iraqis”. A further
meeting was
planned for
the middle of June.
614
UN Security
Council, ‘4984th Meeting, 7 June 2004’ (SC/8113).
615
Letter
Quarrey to Owen, 1 June 2004, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s Conversation
with Ayad Allawi, 1 June’.
616
Letter
Quarrey to Owen, 1 June 2004, ‘Prime Minister’s VTC with Bush, 1
June’.
617
Letter
Rycroft to Baker, 3 June 2004, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s meeting 3
June’.
384