The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
395.
Following a
meeting between Mr Blair and President Massoud Barzani
on
31 October,
Mr Quarrey reported to Mr Straw’s Private Secretary
that:
“The Prime
Minister wants us to keep Sunni outreach as our number one priority
on
the
political track in the coming weeks … He wants us to get on and
implement the
strategy …
as quickly as possible.”179
396.
In October
2005 a senior government official specialising in the Middle East
(1)
proposed
that an independent link to Muqtada al-Sadr and to one or two other
leading
Sadrists
should be established.180
397.
Mr Asquith,181
Mr David
Richmond (FCO Director General Defence and
Intelligence),182
and
Mr Straw183
all agreed
the advice.
398.
In advance of
a video conference with President Bush on 1 November,
Mr Phillipson
advised Mr Blair that he should focus the discussion on
confirming the
President’s
support for “a vigorous programme of Sunni outreach” including
agreement
to some
specific activities, such as a regional contact
group.184
399.
Mr Phillipson
advised that Mr Blair should reassure President Bush that the
UK
was looking
at what needed to be done in MND(SE) in response, including trying
to
identify
moderate political leaders and “the combination of a tough approach
to militia
penetration
of the Police with a more effective Police training
programme”.
400.
In
conversation with President Bush, on 1 November Mr Blair made
the case
that the US
and UK should “push ahead in a big way” with Sunni outreach
before
401.
In response to
a request from No.10, advice was provided in early November
on
how the UK
might best target its efforts to engage those close to the Sunni
insurgency
to avoid
duplicating other initiatives in Iraq to engage with the Sunni
community and
179
Letter
Quarrey to Siddiq, 31 October 2005, ‘Iraq: Barzani and Next
Steps’.
180
Minute
senior government official specialising in the Middle East (1) to
Asquith, Richmond & Foreign
Secretary,
28 October 2005, ‘[NAME OF OPERATION]’.
181
Minute
senior government official specialising in the Middle East (1) to
Asquith, Richmond & Foreign
Secretary,
28 October 2005, ‘[NAME OF OPERATION]’ including manuscript comment
Asquith.
182
Minute
senior government official specialising in the Middle East (1) to
Asquith, Richmond & Foreign
Secretary,
28 October 2005, ‘[NAME OF OPERATION]’ including manuscript comment
Richmond.
183
Minute
senior government official specialising in the Middle East (1) to
Asquith, Richmond & Foreign
Secretary,
28 October 2005, ‘[NAME OF OPERATION]’ including manuscript comment
Straw.
184
Letter
Phillipson to Prime Minister, 1 November 2005, ‘VTC with President
Bush, 1355 1 November’.
185
Letter
Quarrey to Siddiq, 1 November 2005, ‘Prime Minister’s VTC with
President Bush’.
186
Letter
senior government official specialising in the Middle East to
Quarrey, 4 November 2005, ‘[…]
insurgents’.
556