Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Spokesman on: Iraq and Pakistan/Commonwealth.
Iraq
Asked if a decision had been made on troop deployments to Iraq in the light of the report in today’s Daily Mirror, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) said no. The position had not changed. As we had been saying for some time, discussions were continuing with our Coalition allies, but no decisions had been taken at this stage. Nor were we expecting an announcement in the near future. She pointed out that today’s Daily Mirror story was a mystery. How could you reverse a decision when a decision had not been taken? Asked when an announcement would be made, the PMS said she didn’t have a precise date. Discussions were still ongoing. A number of factors obviously needed to be considered. People were looking at the relevant issues and would make a decision when it was appropriate to do so, obviously taking into account the conditions on the ground. Put to her that the conflicting briefings being given to newspapers would seem to indicate deep confusion and disagreement behind the scenes, the PMS said that those supposedly briefing the media were being quoted as ‘unnamed sources’. She couldn’t be held accountable for them. As the Prime Minister’s Spokesman she could say definitively that no decision about troop deployments had been taken at this stage. Put to her that the contradictory briefings would appear to indicate there was conflict within the decision-making system, the PMS said that there had been no conflicting briefings coming out of the Prime Minister’s Office. Challenged that her colleague had suggested on Monday that troops would be deployed and that she appeared to be rowing back from that today, the PMS said that stating that a decision had not been taken at this stage was not an indication that the situation had changed in any way.
Asked if the commanders on the ground had requested more British troops, the PMS said that the issue was under constant review, as you would expect. The deployment of troops was an important decision to make. That was why a number of considerations were being taken into account and discussions were still ongoing. Asked if the Prime Minister had discussed the issue with the Leaders of the Opposition parties, the PMS said not as far as she was aware.
Asked if the Prime Minister would be happy to see British forces serving in any area in Iraq, the PMS said that British forces were currently operating in specified areas, as was well known. No decisions had been taken about deploying troops to any other area. Asked if we had received a request for British troops to be deployed to other areas, the PMS repeated that the issue was being looked at and no decision had been taken at this stage. Asked if she was ruling in the possibility of British troops operating in Najaf, the PMS said that she wasn’t ruling anything in or out. She was simply making the point that no decision had been taken.
Asked to whom Iraqi troops would be answerable after the transfer of sovereignty on 30 June, the PMS said that the Interim Authority would take responsibility for them. Put to her that US Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, had said that they would take charge of themselves, whereas Colin Powell had said that they would come under the command of the US-led force, the PMS said that as she understood it, Iraqi troops would be answerable to the Interim Authority.
Pakistan/Commonwealth
Asked if the Prime Minister supported Pakistan’s bid to rejoin the Commonwealth, the PMS said that a decision would be taken by all the members of the Commonwealth. She said later that the Government believed that Pakistan had fulfilled the conditions set by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) to rejoin the Commonwealth, but the decision would be taken by the CMAG.
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