9.4  |  June 2005 to May 2006

issues, co‑ordinate policy, reach common conclusions and recommend decisions in

advance of PM-chaired DOP(I) Committees.”

310.  Mr Straw’s Private Secretary replied to Mr Asquith two days later to report

agreement to his proposals for informal meetings.141 Mr Straw also agreed that “we

should continue to keep Sunni Arabs engaged in the political process”.

311.  President Talabani and Mr Blair met at No.10 on 6 October.142 A record of the

meeting said that the President suggested Sunni participation in the December elections

would increase because they “regretted their boycott in January”. He agreed with

Mr Blair that the UK must “do all we could to encourage greater Sunni participation,

through contact work in Iraq and with the regional players, especially Jordan and

Saudi Arabia”.

312.  In a brief one-to-one exchange, President Talabani emphasised that “the UK had

to be very active on the Sunni outreach agenda if [we] were to get the right outcome

in December”.

313.  Mr Blair asked President Talabani to take a personal interest in forced returns to

Iraq from the UK as he “attached great importance to early progress” on the issue.

314.  At the press conference after the meeting, Mr Blair told reporters that the continued

presence of the MNF in Iraq was “about making sure that we remain until the Iraqi forces

are capable of securing their own country and so that Iraq is then capable of becoming a

proper functioning and sovereign democracy, as it should be”.143

315.  When President Talabani spoke he addressed those calling for a drawdown of

UK troops:

“… we too want to see an end of the presence of the Multi-National Force, but

the actions of the terrorists are keeping them there. An early pull-out would be a

catastrophe for the people of Iraq and for the cause of democracy and it will be a win

for terrorism.”

316.  In the questions that followed, Mr Blair was asked about allegations of Iranian

involvement in Iraq. He told reporters:

“What is clear is that there have been new explosive devices used, not just against

British troops but elsewhere in Iraq. The particular nature of those devices lead us

either to Iranian elements or to Hizballah … that is funded and supported by Iran.

However we cannot be sure of this at the present time.”

141  Minute Siddiq to Asquith, 7 October 2005, ‘Iraq: The Next Three Months’.

142  Letter Quarrey to Siddiq, 6 October 2005, ‘Iraq: Talabani’.

143  Transcript of Press Conference Given by the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the Iraqi President,

Mr Jalal Talabani in London on Thursday, 6 October 2005.

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