The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
766.
On 27 April,
Mr Blair’s Private Secretary told him that April had seen the
greatest
number of
UK fatalities in Iraq (11)420
since the
end of major combat operations in
2003.421
Mr Blair
commented:
“I am
really not happy about the posture of our Forces in Basra. We must
discuss
this. There
is absolutely no point in taking casualties if they aren’t helping
the effort.”
767.
The Private
Secretary also explained that he had commissioned further work
from
departments
on reconciliation. Mr Blair replied: “But the FCO and MOD
won’t respond –
we will
have to do it.”
768.
On 29 April,
Lt Gen Lamb reported a resurgence of tribal influence in Iraq, with
the
tribes seen
as “an increasingly important coalescing force” who were “beginning
to raise
their heads
above the AQ parapet” and “playing an increasing role in the
engagement
and
reconciliation work”.422
769.
Lt Gen Lamb
observed that “we are seeing increasing numbers of the Sunni
in
particular
trying to become part of the AQ‑I solution” and that the
“co‑operation we are
receiving
to assist in operations in the Ramadi/Fallujah/Abu Ghraib area is
notable”.
Prime
Minister Maliki appeared “reasonably comfortable” with the tribal
engagement
strategy
and was continuing his own engagement efforts with Sunni
interlocutors
in parallel.
770.
Lt Gen Lamb
also recorded that eight new UK members of staff for the
Joint
Reconciliation
Support Cell were expected in the coming week.
771.
Mr Dowse
responded on 2 May to a request from Sir Nigel Sheinwald for a
note
on the
status of Sunni outreach by the coalition and Iraqi
Government.423
He
explained
that there
were currently two major strands of activity: Sunni insurgent
cease‑fire
negotiations
and the initiative to co‑opt Sunni tribes in Anbar
province.
772.
On the first
strand of activity, Mr Dowse reported that Lt Gen Lamb had
been
continuing
discussions with representatives of a small number of Sunni
insurgents
to explore
the possibility of local cease‑fires with the MNF but commented
that the
Assessments
Staff remained unsighted on the detail, in particular the
insurgents’
demands.
420
Second
Lieutenant Joanna Yorke Dyer, Colour Sergeant Mark Powell, Corporal
Ben Leaning, Corporal
Kris
O’Neill, Kingsman Alan Jones, Kingsman Adam Smith, Kingsman DJ
Wilson, Private Eleanor
Dlugosz,
Rifleman Paul Donnachie, Rifleman Aaron Lincoln and Trooper Kristen
Turton.
421
Minute
Banner to Prime Minister, 27 April 2007, ‘Iraq Update, 26 April’
including Manuscript comment
Blair.
422
Minute Lamb
to CDS, 29 April 2007, ‘SBMR‑I Weekly Report (253) 29 Apr
07’.
423
Minute
Dowse to Sheinwald, 2 May 2007, ‘Iraq: Sunni
Outreach’.
144