The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
47.
The law
enforcement objectives for the UK during the reconstruction phase
were
described
as:
•
responsibility
for law enforcement passed back to Iraqi police; and
•
joint
police/military police, transitioning to police operating
alone.
48.
The desired
end state for justice was to have a reformed legal system
established
under
vetted judiciary, with unjustly jailed prisoners
released.
49.
The justice
enforcement objectives for the UK during the stabilisation phase
were
described
as:
•
martial law in
place for minimum time possible;
•
new laws
agreed and promulgated;
•
judges
vetted, and unsuitable judges removed;
•
military
management of prisons; and
•
unjustly
jailed prisoners released.
50.
The law
enforcement objectives for the UK during the reconstruction phase
were
described
as:
•
Iraqi legal
system up and running before transmission. International
mentoring
system
provided to support judges.
•
If
possible, management of prisons passed over to Iraqi citizens. If
not possible,
support
programme to re‑establish in UK AO.
51.
On 7 February
2003, Mr Peter Ricketts, FCO Political Director, informed
Mr Straw
that there
was inter‑departmental agreement that “the FCO should lead policy
work on
planning
for post‑conflict Iraq”.36
52.
There were two
sections in different directorates within the FCO that had a role
in
relation to
SSR:
•
the Iraq
Planning Unit (IPU); and
•
the United
Nations Department (UND), which had previous experience
recruiting
and
deploying UK police for UN missions.37
53.
Lord Jay, the
FCO Permanent Under Secretary from 2002 to 2006, told the
Inquiry:
“I cannot
recollect any discussions specifically about policing, nor have I
been able
to come
across any papers.”38
36
Minute
Ricketts to Private Secretary [FCO], 7 February 2003, ‘Iraq
Strategy’.
37
Letter
Bowen to Ehrman, 5 February 2003, ‘Iraq: Operational Policy
Unit’.
38
Public
hearing, 30 June 2010, page 48.
76