9.3 |
July 2004 to May 2005
343.
Lt Gen Kiszely
was the first Briton to visit Fallujah following the start of
offensive
operations,
and was put in charge of reconstruction in the city by Gen
Casey.182
344.
Lt Gen Kiszely
reported to the MOD and to the IPU that the scale of the
damage
he had
witnessed dramatically outstripped the figures that the MNF-I had
used in its
press
statements. Mr Crompton’s note of a discussion with Lt Gen Kiszely
said that he
was “calm,
but clearly taken aback by the damage he had seen”.
345.
In response,
the IPU was “in touch with DFID to see whether they can
assist
with the
humanitarian effort, and are feeding in some ideas to Kiszely on
how best to
approach
the reconstruction task, using lessons learnt in Kosovo and
elsewhere”.
346.
Sir Nigel
Sheinwald passed a copy of Mr Crompton’s note to Mr Blair, with
the
single word
annotation “worrying”.183
“Yes but if
there is still resistance, it means we are getting some of the
insurgents.
When will
F[allujah] start to be re-built?”
348.
The Annotated
Agenda for the 18 November AHMGIR said that in
Fallujah
“the main
assault phase has been completed and gone largely according to
plan”.184
It suggested
that Mr Straw should ask for an update on the security
situation:
“… in
particular, on Fallujah following Gen Kiszely’s recent visit and on
the morale
of the
Black Watch. Discussion might then briefly focus on what comes
next.
Should we
anticipate this being a ‘decisive battle’ with the insurgents or
will similar
operations
be needed in further cities?”
349.
Lt Gen Kiszely
had reported significant structural damage in Fallujah and
that
the city
was “littered” with IEDs which would need to be located and made
safe before
reconstruction
could begin in earnest.
350.
The Annotated
Agenda also stated that:
“There has
been a spike in activity in Mosul,
almost certainly as a result of
operations
in Fallujah and compounded by the weakness of the local
police.
Police
stations were overrun by insurgents across the city. Bridges have
also been
attacked.
In response, the governor imposed a curfew and US forces have
been
redeployed
from Fallujah (without any material impact on the Fallujah
operation).
A new
police chief has also been appointed. This has improved the
situation and
police
stations are steadily being brought back under IIG control, but the
insurgents
remain
active.”
182
Minute
Crompton to
Private Secretary [FCO], 16 November 2004, ‘Fallujah’.
183
Manuscript
comments, Sheinwald and Blair on Minute Crompton to Private
Secretary [FCO],
16 November
2004, ‘Fallujah’.
184 Annotated
Agenda, 18 November 2004, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation
meeting.
451