9.7 | May
2008 to October 2009
364.
Sir Nigel
reported that the President had drawn a number of “lessons
learned”
from Iraq:
•
that to go
to war the US needed clearly defined goals;
•
that
funding for wars should be included in the budget as part of
wider
transparency
about the costs of war;
•
that the US
would expand its civilian national security capacity;
and
•
that the US
had learned “the importance of working closely with friends
and
allies”.
365.
In a section
of the speech addressed “directly to the people of Iraq”,
President
Obama
praised Iraq’s history, civilisation and fortitude in recent
decades, and continued:
“… let me
be clear about America’s intentions. The United States pursues
no
claim on
your territory or your resources. We respect your sovereignty and
the
tremendous
sacrifices you have made for your country. We seek a full
transition to
Iraqi
responsibility for the security of your country. And going forward,
we can build
a lasting
relationship founded upon mutual interests and mutual respect as
Iraq
takes its
rightful place in the community of nations.”
366.
On the same
day as President Obama’s announcement, the Cabinet
Office
provided
Mr Brown with an update on Iraq.148
It recorded
that there had been “a slight
deterioration”
in security, including the deadliest single attack for three months
which
had killed
55 civilians.
367.
Basra remained
calm, and the training of 14 Division was “virtually
complete”,
meaning
that embedded UK mentoring teams would start to pull out from early
March.
The UK
government had assisted six investor visits in the previous
week.
368.
After a year
in post as SBMR-I, Lt Gen Cooper handed over to Lt Gen Chris
Brown
on 3 March
2009.149
In his end
of tour report Lt Gen Cooper wrote that:
“… 2008-09
was a very significant year in the Iraq campaign. It built on
previous
events in
security terms but perhaps the key event was the assertiveness of
Maliki in
dealing
with Shia militias that then gave him the credibility and authority
to establish
the writ of
government across Iraq … Notwithstanding the risks and fault lines
that
remain in
Iraq and the weakness of the economic position, the glass is half
full, with
regular
drips of progress entering it.”
148
Minute
Cabinet Office [junior official] to Prime Minister, 27 February
2009, ‘Iraq: Update’.
149
Report
Cooper, [undated], ‘End of Tour Report 4 Mar 09 to 3 Mar
09’.
443