House of Commons Defence Committee UK Operations in Iraq Thirteenth Report of Session 2005–06 Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 19 July 2006 HC 1241 Published on 10 August 2006 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £13.50 The Defence Committee The Defence Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies. Current membership Rt Hon James Arbuthnot MP (Conservative, North East Hampshire) (Chairman) Mr David S Borrow MP (Labour, South Ribble) Mr David Crausby MP (Labour, Bolton North East) Linda Gilroy MP (Labour, Plymouth Sutton) Mr David Hamilton MP (Labour, Midlothian) Mr Mike Hancock MP (Liberal Democrat, Portsmouth South) Mr Dai Havard MP (Labour, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) Mr Adam Holloway MP (Conservative, Gravesham) Mr Brian Jenkins MP (Labour, Tamworth) Mr Kevan Jones MP (Labour, Durham North) Robert Key MP (Conservative, Salisbury) Mr Mark Lancaster MP (Conservative, North East Milton Keynes) Willie Rennie MP (Liberal Democrat, Dunfermline and West Fife) John Smith MP (Labour, Vale of Glamorgan) The following Members were also Members of the Committee during the Parliament. Mr Colin Breed MP (Liberal Democrat, South East Cornwall) Derek Conway MP (Conservative, Old Bexley and Sidcup) Mr Desmond Swayne MP (Conservative, New Forest West) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental Select Committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk. Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at www.parliament.uk/defcom. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Philippa Helme (Clerk), Richard Cooke (Second Clerk), Ian Rogers (Audit Adviser), Stephen Jones (Committee Specialist), Adrian Jenner (Inquiry Manager), Sue Monaghan (Committee Assistant), Sheryl Dinsdale (Secretary) and Stewart McIlvenna (Senior Office Clerk). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Defence Committee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 5745; the Committee’s email address is [email protected]. 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$/087+$11$ $U5DZGDWD\Q %XE7\DQ 5DLOZD\ 5DIKD 0DMRU$LUSRUW L )D\ODND 7+( 1 $O-DKUD $SSUR[VFDOH L $/.8:$<7 %DQGDUH L .P 1 %XVKHKU .8:$,7 L $V6DEDKL\DK *8/) 0LOHV ( 6$8',$5$%,$ L 0LQD6X¶XG $]=DZU ( *HRJUDSKLF6XSSRUW0DLQ%XLOGLQJ'*&*6*6(GLWLRQ0DUFK 3URGXFHGE\'*,$0LQLVWU\RI'HIHQFH8QLWHG.LQJGRP )RUEULHILQJSXUSRVHVRQO\0DSVSURGXFHGE\'*,$DUHQRWWREHWDNHQDVQHFHVVDULO\UHSUHVHQWLQJWKHYLHZVRIWKH8.*RYHUQPHQWRQERXQGDULHVRUSROLWLFDOVWDWXV &URZQFRS\ULJKW UK Operations in Iraq 1 Contents Report Page Summary 3 1 Introduction 5 2 The security situation 6 Background 6 Security in Multi-National Division (South East) 6 Iranian influence and border security 8 Security sector reform 9 Transition to Provincial Iraqi Control 11 Implications of Transition 11 Reconstruction 12 Detainees 13 3 Challenges facing UK troops 16 Armoured vehicles 16 Heat 18 Helicopters 19 Airlift 20 Overstretch 21 Recognition 23 4 Conclusion 24 Conclusions and recommendations 26 Annex A: List of Abbreviations 30 Annex B: Visit Programme 31 Formal minutes 33 List of written evidence 34 Defence Committee Reports in this Parliament 35 UK Operations in Iraq 3 Summary In June 2006, we visited Iraq to meet UK Forces and senior members of the new Iraqi Government. Our visit gave us an opportunity to see for ourselves the work of our troops and the difficult conditions in which they operate. In this report, we do not attempt to offer a comprehensive examination of the political and security situation in Iraq. Rather, we seek to highlight some of the issues which were raised with us during our visit. We are concerned at the deterioration of the security situation in South Eastern Iraq over the past months and about the implications for UK Forces. If the situation is to improve, it is essential that the Iraqi Government in Baghdad maintains its interest in Basra and the wider region. We welcome the progress in the development of the new Iraqi army, but are concerned at the serious challenges that remain in the development of the Iraqi Police Service. Security sector reform will be crucial to the drawback and eventual withdrawal of UK Forces from Iraq. Transition to Provincial Iraqi Control in Muthanna is a positive development. But the conditions for transition in South East Iraq remain unclear. The key test of transition will be Basra, where significant obstacles remain. It is clear that there are problems with equipment that require urgent attention from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). We are concerned at the vulnerability of our troops travelling in Snatch Land Rovers and about the extreme temperatures to which Service personnel are subjected. We are impressed by the work of the Joint Helicopter Force—Iraq, but are deeply concerned at the shortage of helicopters in theatre and at the strain on both air and ground crew. The MoD’s confidence that the UK Armed Forces are not overstretched contrasts with what we heard from Service personnel on the ground. The Armed Forces can tolerate short-term pressure but sustained breaches of Harmony Guidelines will damage the Services’ operational capability.