The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
351.
When the
AHMGIR met, Gen Walker told Ministers that “exchanges with
the
insurgents
continued in a number of sectors of the city”.185
He reported
the loss of
54 US troops,
six Iraqi troops and 2,080 insurgents.
352.
Gen Walker
described a slow start to reconstruction in Fallujah. This was a
failure
of the IIG
and, in part, non-military US agencies, although there was no
indication of an
immediate
humanitarian crisis.
353.
Ministers
concluded that Mr Straw should telephone Mr Jakob
Kellenberger,
President
of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to discuss
ICRC
access to
Fallujah.
354.
The AHMGIR
also discussed elections, and was informed that the IECI
had
decided to
allow out of country voting. Arrangements for that to happen in the
UK were
being
discussed.
355.
Sir Nigel
Sheinwald and Dr Rice discussed Fallujah during a
telephone
conversation
on 18 November.186
356.
Sir Nigel
expressed concern about the pace of the humanitarian assistance
and
reconstruction
operations. Dr Rice shared that concern, but thought that some
assistance
was
reaching the north-west of the city. She considered that the next
step was “to get the
city
cleaned up so that the IDPs [internally displaced persons] would
return”.
357.
On 19
November, Mr Straw’s Private Secretary wrote to Mr Blair’s
Private
Secretary:
“… we
believe about 1,000 insurgents may have departed Fallujah for other
towns
or cities …
We believe the largest group have headed for Baghdad. But North
Babil,
Mosul,
Ramadi and Al-Qaim have also seen an influx.” 187
358.
In relation to
the election:
“The
critical challenge now is ensuring credible Sunni participation in
the process.
Operations
in Fallujah have led to renewed calls by senior Sunnis and members
of
the IIG for
a postponement of elections … But Fallujah has not caused a
definitive
boycott by
Sunni groups.”
359.
In his weekly
report on 21 November, Lt Gen Kiszely reported that a
Campaign
Progress
Review was about to get under way, to inform a strategy for the
size, shape
and posture
of the MNF-I in 2005.188
The US was
already anticipating that three or four
additional
brigades were required over the election period.
185
Minutes, 18
November 2004, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation
meeting.
186
Letter
Sheinwald to Adams, 18 November 2004, ‘Conversation with US
National Security Adviser:
18 November
2004’.
187
Letter Owen
to Phillipson, 19 November 2004, ‘Iraq: The Political Process –
Prospects for Elections
and Sharm
El-Sheikh’.
188
Report
Kiszely to CDS, 21 November 2004, ‘SBMR-Is Weekly Report (138) of
21 Nov 04’.
452