The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
824.
In his weekly
update on 11 May, Mr Blair’s Private Secretary
wrote:
“The big
issue of the moment – rightly – is reconciliation. At Sharm, Maliki
got the
message
from all present that this should be his priority, and the US have
been
using every
tool at their disposal to reinforce the message.”450
825.
The Private
Secretary attached a copy of a speech given by Mr Browne
the
previous
week, which included proposals relevant to Mr Blair’s planned
visit to Iraq.
In it, Mr Browne
asked whether military intervention was working in Iraq and
concluded
“As ever,
the difficulties are with the politics”. He continued:
“Delivering
on reconciliation is simple in concept but will be extremely
difficult to
deliver
where there is little cohesion between factions – who on the Sunni
side can
deliver the
people? Who on the Shia side commands enough support to make
the
compromises?”
826.
The IPU
produced a revised reconciliation strategy on 11
May.451
Its overall
aim
was to
build mutual confidence and trust between Sunni Arabs and Shia. The
detailed
objectives
were:
•
more
inclusive government;
•
widening
political representation and participation;
•
progress in
reducing the numbers excluded by de‑Ba’athification;
•
progress on
agreeing hydrocarbons legislation;
•
changing
the regional context; and
•
a more
strategic approach to reconciliation both by the Iraqi Government
and
by the
coalition.
827.
The IPU also
highlighted a “pressing need for action” on the issue of
detainees,
possibly by
offering an amnesty.
“This is a
much better paper. But the key missing element remains. Neither
the
process nor
the individual items of attainment/goals of reconciliation are
achievable
unless set
out in a proper agreement to which everyone – Iraqi Gov[ernmen]t,
Iraqi
factions,
clerics, US, UK, MNF and Arabs – sign up.”
829.
On 13 May, Lt
Gen Lamb reported that “significant progress” continued to be
made
in Anbar
province, where attacks were down to five or six a day compared
with 60 to
90 attacks
a day “previously”.452
He
commented: “I see this as a clear indication of the
450
Minute
Banner to Prime Minister, 11 May 2007, ‘Iraq Update, 10 May’
attaching Speech Browne
‘Politics
and the Art of War’.
451
Paper Iraq
Policy Unit, 11 May 2007, ‘Iraq: Reconciliation’ including
manuscript comment Blair.
452
Minute Lamb
to CDS, 13 May 2007, ‘SBMR‑I Weekly Report (254) 13 May
07’.
154