Letter hoon to straw iraq visit to basra 20-21 october 2003

24/10 •). Jack IRAQ: VISIT TO BASRA 20-21 OCTOBER 2003 Visit concentrated on UK forces, who are doing well. Progress being made on the Essential Infrastructure Programme. CPA(S) now settled into their new offices. For CPA to take forward programmes effectively across the broad range of activity required, there is now a need to replace ad-hoc military placements with professional and practical civilian expertise. I visited Basra on the 9/21 October, accompanied by CDS. The main focus of my visit was to meet UK forces, but I also spoke with members of the Italian, Norwegian and New Zealand forces, as well as members of the Basrah Governing Council and CPA(S) staff. The forces were in good spirit, well motivated and pleased to be clearly making a difference, working well with the Essential Infrastructure Programme being pursued by CPA(S). There were some frustrations about support in other areas. For example, training and recruitment of Border Guards has stopped until vehicles can be provided to make them effective; other programmes are similarly held up by a lack of a fully comprehensive project approach. The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 505 DEGLASSIFIED enerve tie need for this to be taken forward quickly as many of the reservists will be withdrawn early in November. Although I note Hilary Synnott's view that the CPA would never have any significant executive capability of their own, to complement policy officials there is a need for very practical people who can drive implementation and ensure progress. The military have provided essential, effective and enthusiastic support in the early stages. But we need to get out of a mindset where the default position is to call on "spare" military personnel to fulfil roles for which they have not been trained. CPA(S) may well require a higher proportion of civilians than the CPA elsewhere in the country because the roles and capabilities of UK forces do not encompass all of those available within the much larger US Armed Forces. We will, of course, continue to support the overall effort in the South where we can, but the best people for the posts in CPA(S) could well come from a wider range of Whitehall departments and the civilian sector in the UK I am copying this to the Prime Minister and members of the Ad-Hoc Ministerial Group on Iraq. ours surcedy, Gesth GEOFFREY HOON DECLASSIFIED