The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
remaining
MND(SE) provinces (Basra and Dhi Qar), following in April 2006.
That was
expected to
lead to a significant reduction in the overall level of UK troops
in Iraq to
around
3,000 personnel.
37.
The paper
asked Ministers to agree that the UK should keep open the options
of
agreeing to
a small scale, more flexible UK deployment from mid-2006 and that
UK
representatives
at the June Multi-National Force – Iraq review should turn down
any
proposal to
extend the UK Area of Responsibility. Dr Reid would provide more
advice in
late
summer.
38.
Members of
DOP(I) considered Dr Reid’s paper on 16 June, alongside a
briefing
from
Mr William Ehrman, Chairman of the Joint Intelligence
Committee (JIC), on Sunni
engagement
and a discussion on progress of police reform and reconstruction in
the
39.
No specific
conclusions about the UK’s future force posture were recorded,
but
Dr Reid
was asked to report on US thinking on drawdown of the
Multi-National Force –
Iraq
(MNF-I) at a future meeting. DOP(I) agreed that the UK should
concentrate on
“seeing
progress” on the justice and policing sectors and should push for
resolution of
the
question of Sunni involvement in the Constitutional
Committee.
40.
On 16 June,
the British Embassy Washington reported that the US
Administration
was again
coming under pressure on Iraq, with renewed calls from Democrat
politicians
for an exit
strategy and a timeline for withdrawal of US troops from
Iraq.14
41.
Opinion polls
showed dwindling public support for US involvement, with
increasing
concern
about military overstretch and US casualties. The Embassy reported
that the
White House
was planning to respond to these criticisms in a significant speech
by the
President,
on the anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty at the end of
June.
42.
On 17 June,
Mr Patey reported that the Constitutional Committee had agreed
that
15
additional Sunni Arab representatives should be appointed as
members, with a
further 10
as expert advisers.15
He
observed:
“This
allows Sunni politicians to argue that they have secured agreement
to their
demand for
the participation of 25 Sunni Arab representatives in the
Committee
whilst
preserving the necessary balance between the different political
and religious
groups
…”
43.
On 22 June,
Mr Patey told the FCO that a list of 15 additional Sunni
representatives
had been
submitted, and that he expected the main work of the Committee to
begin
13
Minutes, 16
June 2005, DOP(I) meeting.
14
eGram
6982/05 Washington to FCO London, 16 June 2005, ‘Iraq: the US
public debate’.
15
eGram
6916/05 Baghdad to FCO London, 17 June 2005, ‘Iraq: Agreement on
Sunni Arab Inclusion in
the
Constitutional Committee’.
494