Memorandum from the Ministry of Defence
Details of the Forces currently deployed to Iraq
and the forces to be deployed following the October roulement.
Our commitment of UK Forces to Iraq is currently
some 9,200 personnel. On 17 June we announced that a roulement
of forces would take place from October 2004. Final decisions
have not yet been taken on detailed force levels and dispositions,
but we would anticipate broadly similar numbers post-roulement.
Iraqi government and Multinational Force commanders
continue to consider the levels and dispositions of forces required
in Iraq in the months ahead, to support the government through
the process leading to the election of a Transitional Assembly
and Government early in 2005. If we judge that further changes
to the UK military contribution in Iraq would be appropriate to
support this process, we will of course inform the House at the
earliest opportunity.
The following major units are currently deployed
to the Iraq area of operations:
1st Mechanised Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron
1st Battalion Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment
1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment
1st Battalion The Royal Welsh Fusiliers
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
1st Battalion The Black Watch
22 Regiment Royal Engineers
40 Commando Royal Marines
HMS Somerset
HMS Cumberland
HMS Echo
Aircraft
5 x C-130 (based at Basra)
1 x HS-125 (Basra)
3 x Nimrod (Seeb and Basra)
6 x Tornado GR4 reconnaisance/ close air support (Qatar)
2 x VC10 (Bahrain)
Helicopters (all based at Basra)
5 x Chinook
5 x Puma
4 x Lynx
The following major units will be deploying in October 2004:
4 Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron
Queen's Dragoon Guards
The Royal Dragoon Guards
4 Regiment Royal Artillery
1st Battalion The Scots Guards
1st Battalion The Welsh Guards
1st Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment
21 Engineer Regiment
40 Commando Royal Marines will complete a six month tour in January
2005.
An account of where these forces (including naval
forces) have been stationed and what roles they have performed.
1st Battalion the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment
(PWRR) is in Maysan province. Its primary missions are to disrupt
Anti Iraqi Forces (AIF), support delivery of Security Sector Reform
(SSR) and support delivery of local governance in the province.
1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment is in Basra
and the surrounding region. Its primary missions are the same
as 1st Bn PWRR.
1st Battalion The Royal Welsh Fusiliers is also
based in the region around Basra. Its primary missions are to
provide infrastructure security, disrupt AIF, and support delivery
of SSR.
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery—primary
missions are to deliver (ie train and mentor) an effective Iraqi
Police Service, Iraqi Border Police and judiciary within the MND(SE)
area.
1st Battalion The Black Watch is the Divisional
reserve. It conducts discrete or supporting (and diverse) operations
as required across the MND(SE) area.
The Royal Engineers provide combat support to
UK forces in MND(SE), force protection to Shaiba logistics base,
utilities protection, and a specialist search team.
40 Commando Royal Marines provide an escort
facility, guard the divisional temporary detention facility, provide
general security support, conduct surge tasks, and provide military
support to SBMR-I in Baghdad.
HMS Somerset is in the Northern Arabian Gulf
on general security patrolling duty, particularly around the oil
installations.
HMS Cumberland is in the Southern Arabian Gulf,
also on general security patrol.
HMS Echo is conducting oceanographic survey
work in the Northern Arabian Gulf.
An assessment of how the operational environment,
including particularly the security situation, has changed since
the transfer of sovereignty.
The Security situation in the MND(SE) area of
operations has continued to be relatively stable in comparison
to the northern half of the country, in particular the areas west
of Baghdad. There was a particularly quiet period in July which
could be attributed to the fact that the Muqtada Militia (MM)
were re-arming and retraining after a period of intense fighting
during the period prior to handover of sovereignty, particularly
in Al Amarah and Nasiriyah.
In that period especially, we endeavoured to
establish Iraqi institutions as viable entities capable of adopting
the lead in their specific areas of responsibility. The Iraqi
Security Forces (ISF) that we had mentored, trained and provisioned
began to take on increasing levels of responsibility in line with
the change in legislative circumstances. The ISF (Iraqi Police
Service, Iraqi National Guard, Iraqi Customs Police and Department
of Border Enforcement) were established in Provincial Joint Coordination
Centres in Basra, Nasiriyah, As Samawah and Al Amarah. MND(SE)
units focused on joint patrols and operations with them. There
were a number of successful joint operations—the Iraqi National
Guard began to take a major role in providing security on the
Al Faw peninsular for example. The Tactical Support Unit (TSU)
of the Iraqi Police is also undergoing training and will provide
a useful capability for challenging policing scenarios.
The security situation deteriorated across Iraq
during the stand-off with the Muqtada Militia in the Imam Ali
shrine in Najaf in August 04. Once that was resolved, the number
of incidents decreased significantly across the whole of the country
but the incident numbers have not yet returned to pre-April 2004
levels. The performance and number of the ISF units continue to
improve and in some areas (notably within parts of the UK area
of operations) we have handed over local control of security to
the Iraqis. In these areas MNF units remain on standby to assist
the ISF if/when required. Work continues to identify and counter
the various causes of the violence, but it is likely that the
security situation will remain challenging in the lead up to the
elections in January 2005.
What progress has been made with establishing
the arrangements for coordination between the Interim Government
of Iraq and the Multinational Force and reaching agreement on
the full range of fundamental security and policy issues (as set
out in letters from Prime Minister of Iraq and the US Secretary
of State attached to UNSCR 1546).
Good progress has been made. The Ministerial
Committee for National Security (MCNS) meetings at Ministerial
and at Deputies level are now well established and MNF and UK/US
representatives play a full role in these.
The Security Action Committee (SAC) has also
been established to ensure coordination and consultation between
the MNF and Iraqi chains of command on security issues. It provides
direct support to the MCNS.
The SAC normally meets once a week. The chair
rotates between the MNF Commander General, the Deputy Minister
of the Interior, and the Armed Forces Chief of Staff. Membership
comprises "security professionals", and includes representatives
of the Iraqi Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, National
Intelligence Service, and MNF. The aim of the Committee is to
assess the operational situation, develop strategic options and
guidance, raise strategic issues to higher levels and translate
policy directives into action. A small secretariat comprising
MOI, MOD and MNF personnel provides support to the SAC.
At provincial, town and municipal level, Joint
Coordination Centres are being set up to coordinate responses
to security incidents. This process is ongoing. Representatives
normally include the local Governor/ Mayor, Council Representatives,
representatives from the different elements of the Iraqi Security
Forces, and MNF officers.
What contacts the British forces have developed
with local Iraqi organisations in both the private and public
sector?
UK forces have developed contacts with a very
large number of Iraqi organisations, both public and private.
In the public sphere, the GOC regularly meets
the Governors of the provinces in MND(SE)—except for the
Governor of Maysan who has been subject to suspension and a legal
investigation until recently. There are regular meetings between
UK forces and the Director Generals of services and utilities
in the Provincial Councils. A military officer attends all meetings
of the Basra Provincial Council at the invitation of the Chairman.
A senior military officer attends every meeting of the Basra province
security committee which brings together all the provincial chiefs
of the Iraqi Security Forces. The Commander of UK Military Medical
Services has a meeting each week with the Director General of
Health for Basra province and with senior doctors. UK forces also
have good relations with the head of the Southern Oil Company.
In terms of the private sector, UK forces have
commercial relations with those local contractors who provide
services to UK military establishments. In early September, a
conference was organised by MND(SE) and US Engineers at Basra
International Airport to explain the opportunities offered by
the US infrastructure reconstruction programme. Over 300 contractors
attended the conference. Since the establishment of HM Consulate
in Basra, contacts with political and social groups have been
primarily the responsibility of the consular authorities. However,
UK forces continue to meet and visit a wide range of clerical,
social, tribal and political figures throughout the four provinces
of MND(SE). These contacts have been developed since April 2003
when UK forces first arrived in the South East.
What role British forces are playing in reconstruction
activities?
The Department for International Development
leads British reconstruction efforts. The main contribution of
UK forces to the reconstruction of Iraq is to help provide the
security that allows Iraqi and international reconstruction projects
to take place.
UK Forces, however, play the following roles
in reconstruction activities under the auspices of the Emergency
Infrastructure Programme (DFID lead), or the MoD's Quick Impact
Projects (QIPs) to bring about short-term improvements in living
conditions in Iraq:
(i) Identification of reconstruction projects
in essential services (water, power, oil), the economy and social
services, governance, and security sector reform, which can then
be financially resourced through UK and/or US funds;
(ii) Project management and execution of
projects by the Royal Engineers;
(iii) Provision of planning input and coordination
(where appropriate) for reconstruction projects executed by external
agencies including the Project Coordination Office (PCO), DFID,
USAID, Gulf Region South (GRS) US Army Corps of Engineers, the
UN and NGOs.
An account of developments at the Divisional Temporary
Detention Facility since the Committee's visits, including changes
in numbers of internees.
There has been a reduction in the number of
internees held at the Divisional Temporary Detention Facility
(DTDF) from 113 (17 May), to 14 (17 September).
Internees receive a written Notice of Reasons
for Internment within 14 days of being detained (unless, exceptionally,
the GOC decides that it should not be given to an individual).
Internees have three daily exercise periods.
They have two showers a day. There have also been improvements
to the catering, which is now based on a seven-day cycle. Visiting
times have been lengthened from 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
40 Commando Royal Marines have taken over as
guard force from 1st Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers.
October 2004
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