9.5 |
June 2006 to 27 June 2007
predominance
in the UIA, will focus his efforts on co‑opting those elements of
the
Sadrist
movement he believes can be persuaded to support the political
process –
indeed may
need to take greater risks with those whose loyalties are undecided
…”
661.
On 8 March, Dr
Howells updated DOP(I) on finalisation of the Better Basra
Plan
and the
process for implementing it.345
It would be
circulated out of committee for
Ministers
“to note”.
662.
The MOD
briefing for Mr Browne, who chaired the meeting, stated that
the move
to Basra
Air Station would “impact significantly on the range of activity
the FCO and the
PRT can
carry out” and encouraged him to ask:
•
“Post
re‑posturing, will it be possible to deliver the effort required
[on police
training
and reform] from Basra Air Station and the Warren?”346
•
“Will FCO
be able to achieve the level of local political engagement
required,
particularly
over the critical period when UK forces are
re‑posturing?”347
663.
DOP(I) also
discussed a paper on the humanitarian situation in Iraq and
concluded
that the UK
should lobby the UN, the Red Cross and others to step up their
actions to
664.
An FCO paper
on the Iraqi judicial system was also tabled.349
It raised
issues
with a
backlog of thousands of pre‑trial detainees and with interference
in judicial
independence.
665.
The Attorney
General told the meeting that the importance of the rule of law
could
not be
overstated and agreed to visit Iraq as proposed by the
FCO.350
666.
Also on 8
March, Maj Gen Shaw wrote in his weekly report:
“It is
clear that the [NIIA] raid was both legal and, in tactical
targeting terms, a
good call …
Within the context of the wider politics of Iraq and with the
benefit of
hindsight,
however, the operation was ill‑judged. Local political reaction has
been
relatively
muted … My sense though is that, locally, the desire for progress
and
transition
remains and this should motivate them to treat this incident more
as a
speed bump
than an obstacle …”351
345
Minutes, 8
March 2007, DOP(I) meeting.
346
See Section
12.1 for a description of the Warren site.
347
Minute Fern
to SofS‑PSSC [MOD], 7 March 2007, ‘Defence and Overseas Policy
Sub‑Committee on
Iraq –
(DOP(I)) – Steering Brief’.
348
Minutes, 8
March 2007, DOP(I) meeting.
349
Paper
IPU/Bagdad Embassy, 6 March 2007, ‘The Iraqi Judicial
System’.
350
Minutes, 8
March 2007, DOP(I) meeting.
351
Minute Shaw
to CJO, 8 March 2007, ‘GOC MND(SE) – Southern Iraq Update – 8 March
2007’.
123