Minute parham to ps pus iraq security of civilian staff

Andrew George, HW Jim Drummond, DFID David Richmond, Iraq Rep Patrick Nixon, Basra NRA 445/002/04 RECEIVED IN REGIST: 21 MAY 2004 To: PS/PUS NưBi SUBJECT: IRAQ: SECURITY OF CIVILIAN STAFF 1. The PUS might welcome an update. This covers all the staff under FCO/DID duty of care who are not embedded with the military. Baghdad 2. All staff are accommodated under hard cover. There have been relatively few rocket attacks over the last fortnight, although one rocket landed inside the Green Zone on 15 May. Movements outside the Green Zone are carefully managed and considered case by case. Very few road journeys beyond Baghdad itself are authorised. There is heightened concern about the road between Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) and the Green Zone. I copied to you my letter to David Richmond about this last week (Flag A). David and his Security Committee have considered this carefully. They concluded that: • the threat was likely to remain high for the foreseeable future; > but there was no operational alternative: British staff would continue using the road while mitigating the risk as far as possible, eg moving in convoys of four armoured Page 1 JECLASSIFIED TRICTEI 238 3. SBMRI's staff advised David Richmond that the military were unlikely to accept that there was a need for dedicated RAF helicopter transport for UK civilian staff between BIAP and the Green Zone. But David would have no objection to our pursuing that idea. I recommend that we should do so, once we have resolved the question of military protection for the Consulate General in Basra after 30 June (see below). 4. Baghdad have been preparing an updated evacuation plan, which should reach us tomorrow. Basra 5. Security in Basra has deteriorated in the last two months, restricting staff movement. Patrick Nixon is content with current security arrangements. There have been five or six which has - fortunately - penetrated the compound itself. Staff are accommodated in soft- skinned CPA trailers. We have accepted this because of Bnitish Military patrong in the area and the relatively benign security environment. But the trailers are being sandbagged to give some increased lateral blast protection. (This has been moving very slowly, but is now being expedited.) And our Consulate General staff will in any case be under hard cover after 30 June. 6. The drawdown of CPA(S) staff will begin in early June as we approach the transition. DFID are considering whether to bring forward the departure of any of their experts performing non-essential tasks. 7. ACDS(Ops) has now replied to John Buck about the retention of troops in the Al Sarraji complex after 30 June. He says that "the need to maintain a British Military Capability in the complex - both to act as a QRF and to give the additional reassurance your people need - has been accepted. The size, sustainment and operating practices of the troops allocated to this task is probably best agreed by those on the ground in theatre." (Comment: no mention of patrolling the surrounding area, the other key task for which Page 2 DEGRASSIFIED All but one of the British CPA staff were evacuated (under fire) on 19 May. Kory Stewart (British Deputy Governorate Co-ordinator, who had been in charge until the Co- ordinator's return on 15 May) was evacuated with the Co-ordinator and the Control Risks team last night. They are now in the Italian military base. 9. As with the similar incident in Kut last month, the decisive factor was the deployment of US airpower. But this did not happen until the evening of 16 May. 10. A British battle group is now being deployed to Nasariyah and is expected to be operational there by tomorrow evening. Its task will be to clear the Sadrists out of the city. But neither Patrick Nixon nor General Stewart think it will be sensible to send civilian staff back to the CPA office. Instead, a core staff may remain at the Italian military base and operate from there as security allows. Samawah 11. Deputy Governorate Co-ordinator, is the only British member of the Governorate Team. Samawah has been relatively quiet, although there were exchanges of fire between the Dutch troops and Sadrists on 14 and 15 May, and mortars and RPGs are reported to have been fired near the CPA compound late on 15 May. The Dutch contingent is considered to be reliable. Patrick Nixon and (Basra Security Manager) will visit Samawah tomorrow to assess whether should remain Kut 12. The Governorate Team led by Mark Etherington is re-established and working on tasks confined to the city itself. US troops and armoured vehicles are securing the CPA Page 3 DERLASSIFIED with our secury Manager in Bagndad regards as very secure and well guarded. She operates over a wide area. But her movements are carefully planned to minimise risks. CBW 15. As widely reported yesterday, US troops appear to have found an improvised explosive device (IED) incorporating a shell which may have contained sarin. Even if the presence of sarin were confirmed, this would not necessarily indicate a deliberate use of chemical weapons. Many IEDs use old shells: the bomb-maker may not have known what the shell contained. JTAC had already been commissioned to provide an updated assessment of the CBW risk, which is promised by the end of this week. It is likely to conclude that, while some groups would like to deploy CBW if they could, there is no indication that they have the ability to do so effectively. Philip Pantam Philip Parham Page 4 DESHASSIFIED