9.6 |
27 June 2007 to April 2008
519.
Maj Gen Binns
reported on 18 October that Gen Petraeus had agreed
Lt Gen Odierno’s
recommendation of PIC for Basra in December.247
Although
the
meeting of
the MCNS had been delayed to 21 October, Maj Gen Binns
remained
confident
that it would confirm the recommendation that Basra should transfer
to PIC
in December.
520.
Dr Zebari told
Mr Prentice on 18 October that the Iraqi Government would
be
requesting
a rollover of the current Security Council mandate, though they
would
need the
new resolution to refer explicitly to parallel negotiations between
the Iraqi
Government
and the coalition on a long-term strategic security
partnership.248
521.
The US and
Iraqi Governments would issue a joint declaration in the next
few
weeks that
would set out their longer-term vision. Dr Zebari agreed that the
UK would
be shown
the text in advance and that “US/GoI positions on the declaration
and on the
shape of
more detailed negotiations would need to be co-ordinated with us
[the UK]”.
522.
On 18 October,
MOD officials submitted advice to Mr Browne’s Assistant
Private
Secretary,
seeking agreement to the release of another three detainees “as a
short term
measure to
help underpin the authority of [JAM1] and thus his ability to
maintain control
over JAM
and other elements in Basra”.249
523.
The advice
said that Mr Browne would be informed which individuals from
JAM1’s
list would
be released once the Divisional Internment Review Committee had
reached a
conclusion.
It recorded that:
“Six of
these individuals are assessed to be high risk and two in
particular are
closely
associated with IDF attacks against UK forces … It will also be
very difficult
to release
one of the individuals on this list because he is being processed
by the
Iraqi legal
system and his trial is due to commence in December
2007.”
524.
Mr Browne
annotated the advice “Noted + agreed” on 18
October.250
525.
Government
officials working alongside the military had a
“good-humoured
meeting”
with JAM1 on 19 October.251
526.
JAM1 proposed
the creation of a reconciliation committee, to provide a public
face
for
detainee releases. The officials proposed that this should “embrace
all parties”, which
247
Minute
Binns to CJO, 18 October 2007, ‘GOC HQ MND(SE) – Southern Iraq
Update –
18 October 2007’.
248
eGram
42918/07 Baghdad to FCO London, 19 October 2007, ‘Iraq: Meeting
with Foreign Minister
Zebari, 18
October’.
249
Minute
Freer to APS/Secretary of State [MOD], 18 October 2007,
‘Negotiations with JAM: latest
position’.
250
Minute
Freer to APS/Secretary of State [MOD], 18 October 2007,
‘Negotiations with JAM: latest
position’
including manuscript comment Browne.
251
Email
official working closely with the military, 19 October 2007, ‘[NAME
OF OPERATION]: Meeting
with
[JAM1]’.
279