The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
34.
On 20 January,
the MOD Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) proposed
the
creation of
a ‘Common Document’ to provide a framework for UK Phase
IV 28
planning.29
That was
conceived as a “cross‑Government agreed UK ‘manifesto’, from which
we
would be
able to guide subsequent engagement with the US”. It would also
provide a
“mechanism
for systematically identifying issues that needed to be
resolved”.
35.
The draft
described a number of elements of SSR work, including:
•
disarmament/demobilisation
and the future shape of the military;
•
aspirations
for the criminal justice system; and
•
consideration
of the military role in police mentoring.
36.
The Chiefs of
Staff discussed the Common Document at their meeting
on
29 January
and concluded that it “would establish a framework UK policy, which
would
… provide
guidance to the embedded UK staffs charged with influencing US
thinking”.30
37.
The same day,
Mr Bowen shared a draft paper on UK campaign objectives for
Iraq
with
Sir David Manning.31
The paper
identified a number of “immediate military priorities”
for the
Coalition in the aftermath of hostilities, including “lay plans for
the reform of Iraq’s
security
forces”. Mr Bowen commented that “it will be important … that
we share the
same
military objectives with the US, otherwise the strategic direction
of the campaign
risks
falling apart”. The objectives are addressed in further detail in
Section 6.5.
38.
On 4 February,
Mr Drummond proposed that a special meeting on
“aftermath”
should
replace the AHGI scheduled for 7 February.32
That
meeting would be used to
co‑ordinate
a response to two US planning papers on post‑war reconstruction
and
would also
cover the “state of preparedness” on a range of issues, including
an agenda
item on
SSR.
39.
The AHGI
appears to have used the meeting to focus on preparing key
messages
on
post‑conflict issues for Mr Hoon and Sir David Manning’s
visit to Washington the
40.
A meeting
about the post‑conflict period took place at PJHQ offices on 5
February.34
To support
the discussion, PJHQ tabled a paper entitled ‘Iraq – Phase IV
Subjects’.35
28
Phase IV is
a military term that describes the time after combat operations,
when activities are
conducted
to stabilise and reconstruct the area where combat took place. It
can also be described as
“Stage
IV”.
29
Minute
PJHQ/Hd of J9 Pol/Ops to MA/DCJO(Ops), 20 January 2003,
‘Op TELIC: Taking Forward
Aftermath
Planning’ attaching Paper MOD, [undated], ‘Phase IV Planning –
Common Document’.
30
Minutes, 29
January 2003, Chiefs of Staff meeting.
31
Minute
Bowen to Manning, 29 January 2003, ‘Iraq: Military Campaign
Objectives’ attaching Paper
[unattributed],
[undated], ‘Iraq: Military Campaign Objectives’.
32
Letter
Drummond to Chaplin, 4 February 2003, ‘Iraq:
Aftermath’.
33
Letter
Drummond to Chilcott, 10 February 2003, ‘Iraq: Key
Messages’.
34
Minute FCO
Middle East Directorate [junior official] to Chilcott, 6 February
2003, ‘Iraq: PJHQ Meeting
on ‘Aftermath’
attaching Paper [unattributed], 5 February 2003, ‘Iraq – Phase IV
Subjects’.
35
Paper MOD
[unattributed], 5 February 2003, ‘Iraq – Phase IV
Subjects’.
74