The Report of the Iraq Inquiry
- The development of the Iraqi Army was considerably more successful than that of the Iraqi Police Service. But the UK was still aware before it withdrew from Iraq that the Iraqi Army had not been sufficiently tested. The UK was not confident that the Iraqi Army could maintain security without support.
Resources
820. The following key findings are from Section 13.2, and relate to evidence in Section 13.1:
- The direct cost of the conflict in Iraq was at least £9.2bn (the equivalent of £11.83bn in 2016). In total, 89 percent of that was spent on military operations.
- The Government’s decision to take part in military action against Iraq was not affected by consideration of the potential financial cost to the UK of the invasion or the post‑conflict period.
- Ministers were not provided with estimates of military conflict and post‑conflict costs, or with advice on their affordability, when decisions were taken on the scale of the UK’s military contribution to a US‑led invasion of Iraq, and on the UK’s role in the post‑conflict period. They should have been.
- There was no articulated need for additional financial resources for military operations in Iraq that was not met.
- The arrangements for funding military Urgent Operational Requirements and other military costs worked as intended, and did not constrain the UK military’s ability to conduct operations in Iraq.
- The controls imposed by the Treasury on the MOD’s budget in September 2003 did not constrain the UK military’s ability to conduct operations in Iraq.
- The Government was slow to recognise that Iraq was an enduring operation, and to adapt its funding arrangements to support both military operations and civilian activities.
- The arrangements for securing funding for civilian activities could be slow and unpredictable. Some high‑priority civilian activities were funded late or only in part.
Military equipment (post‑conflict)
821. The following key findings are from Section 14.2, and relate to evidence in Section 14.1:
- Between 2003 and 2009, UK forces in Iraq faced gaps in some key capability areas, including protected mobility, Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) and helicopter support.
- It was not sufficiently clear which person or department within the MOD had responsibility for identifying and articulating capability gaps.
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