9.7 | May
2008 to October 2009
23.
Lt Gen Cooper
also reported that Prime Minister Maliki had told Gen Petraeus
and
Ambassador
Crocker that “he had to remove JAM/SG [Special Groups] from Sadr
City
now”. Lt
Gen Cooper considered that the Charge of the Knights had created an
inflated
view of the
effectiveness of the ISF and that consequently Prime Minister
Maliki “may yet
ignore
further advice that mounting a major operation in Sadr City is not
a good idea at
this
time”.
24.
On 6 May, the
British Embassy Office Basra reported that Charge of the
Knights
Phase VI
had been completed, and Charge of the Knights VII had begun,
focused on
three
districts of Basra, one of which had been a launch area for
indirect fire.5
The
British
Embassy
Office commented:
“The GoI
continues to extend its writ over Basra, and there is a sense of
nervous
optimism in
the city. But the Basrawis will have high expectations of
immediate
improvements
in their daily lives to follow on from the improved
security
environment.
The risk otherwise is that sections of the population will return
to
support for
the militia. Former militia stronghold areas … are faced with
particular
problems,
like poor sanitation, resulting from years of little or no
investment.
The next
few months will be critical in delivering this change – but it is
hard to see
how the
Provincial Council will be able to respond adequately to the city’s
needs.”
25.
On 7 May, the
British Embassy Office Basra reported taking part in the
opening
ceremony of
the Jameat market in Basra, built on the site of the Serious Crime
Unit HQ
destroyed
on Christmas Day 2006 (see Section 9.5).6
26.
The British
Embassy Office wrote:
“– this (so
far as collective memory serves) is the first time in over a year
that a
UK diplomat
has gone into the city;
– nobody
can remember when we last visited the Jameat, hitherto a
JAM
stronghold;
…
– this is
the first visible UK/Iraqi project to be opened in the city since
at least last
summer.”
27.
After Gen
Petraeus’ return to Iraq, Major General Barney White-Spunner,
General
Officer
Commanding Multi-National Division South-East (GOC MND(SE)),
briefed
Lieutenant
General Lloyd Austin, Commanding General Multi-National Corps –
Iraq
(MNC-I), on
how MND(SE) intended to deliver the required tasks.7
He reported
“genuine
5
eGram
17550/08 Basra to FCO London, 6 May 2008, ‘Basra – Update 6
May’.
6
eGram
17723/08 Basra to FCO London, 7 May 2008, ‘Iraq: A New Market Opens
in Basra’.
7
Minute
White-Spunner to CJO, 8 May 2008, ‘GOC MND(SE) Weekly Letter – 8
May 2009’.
385