The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

367.  At the 17 October meeting of ISOG, Sir Jeremy Greenstock commented that the

DTI had intervened too early with the US and CPA on oil strategy.194 The CPA Oil Team’s

focus was on reviving production.

368.  The 21 November meeting of ISOG was advised that Mr David Richmond, the

Prime Minister’s Deputy Special Representative on Iraq, had “again tried to sell a UK oil

policy secondee” to the US, to replace Mr Adams on the CPA Oil Team.195 He had not

been successful.

369.  ISOG agreed that the UK should now “abandon this initiative”. ISOG asked the DTI

to consider what more it could do to foster long-term relations with the Iraqi oil industry,

given the CPA’s planned dissolution in summer 2004.

370.  The IAMB was formally established on 24 October.196 It would not hold its first

meeting until early December.197

371.  On 6 November, the US Congress approved the CPA’s request for additional funds,

allocating US$18.4bn to the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF2).198 The funds

were available for two years. Of that, US$1.7bn was allocated for oil infrastructure.199

372.  On 15 November, the Iraqi Governing Council unveiled a timetable for the transfer

of sovereignty to a transitional administration (‘the transition’) by 30 June 2004, at which

point the CPA would dissolve.200

373.  The OFF programme closed on 21 November, in line with the terms of

resolution 1483. The AHMGIR was advised that responsibility for remaining activity

had passed to the CPA and the Iraqi Ministry of Trade.201 It was not expected that there

would be a threat to food supply.

374.  UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), in association with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and

other partners, hosted a conference in London in December 2003 to examine the skills

development needs in the oil and gas sector in Iraq, and to recommend a series of

initiatives to address those needs.202

375.  A UK-Iraq Joint Board was established in January 2004 to carry forward the

conference’s recommendations, and more generally to help support the development

of the oil and gas sector in Iraq.

194 Minutes, 17 October 2003, Iraq Senior Officials Group meeting.

195 Minutes, 21 November 2003, Iraq Senior Officials Group meeting.

196 IAMB, Press Release, 24 October 2003, Establishment of International Advisory and Monitoring Board.

197 Briefing Treasury, [undated], ‘Meeting with Gary Edson, NSC – Thursday 5th February [2004]’.

198 Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003.

199 Bowen SW Jr. Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience. U.S. Government Printing

Office, 2009.

200 Minute Figgures to CDS, 16 November 2003, ‘SBMR(IRAQ) Report 047 of 16 November 2003’.

201 Annotated Agenda, 27 November 2003, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation meeting.

202 Briefing UKTI, [undated], ‘UK-Iraq Joint Board’.

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