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Metropole Building
Northumberland Ave
22 December 2003
IRAQ: POLICE SUPPORT FOR MND(SE)
Thanks for your mildly intemperate letter of 19 December, and I acknowledge the frustration that lies behind it. Although you say that it is very much a side issue whether we or others were aware of the specific proposal to deploy extra RMP, the fact is that such an approach merely perpetuates the lack of coherent and joined up action in Irag about which you complain.
2.
I am glad that RMP reinforcement is being provided for the mentoring role. But I find it odd that when we have discussed police training and the like at meetings of officials and been reassured that all is on track, this has not been challenged at the time. It is not just the MOD who see the importance of police training, so do we all. We must ensure that the information flow between Departments is such that the messages we need to send to Washington or the CPA (or each other) are registered before we reach crisis point. I appreciate that most of this gets sorted out in the normal course of business by the IPU with relevant Departments, but there is a clear role for senior officials to intervene if programmes are going off the rails.
3.
I am sending a copy of this letter to John Buck (FCO) and Jim Drummond (DFID).
He choima
nd. Down
DESMOND BOWEN
INVESTOR IN PEOPLI
DECLASSIFIED