Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Congressional Medal, Iraq and Middle East.
Congressional Medal
Asked if the Prime Minister would be receiving his Congressional Medal when he went to Washington, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that he was not aware of any plans to do so. Asked when the Prime Minister would be receiving it, the PMOS told journalists that it would be presented when both the American and UK Governments were ready. Put to him that, according to the Times, the medals weren’t ready because the Prime Minister had not chosen its design yet, the PMOS said that he wasn’t aware of the story.
Iraq
Asked about the Black Watch, the PMOS said that as with any deployment the Black watch would obviously view the way they were operating on a day-by-day basis. That was entirely sensible and would be left entirely to them.
Asked about developments in Falluja, the PMOS said that the important thing was that the operation had started, after being given the go-ahead by the Iraqi Prime Minister and we should let the military get on with the job. We should recognise the difficult job they were doing. We should also recognise the reason why they were there, which was so that the people of Falluja along with the rest of Iraq could exercise their right to vote in January.
Asked about the Prime Minister’s assurance to the House of Commons that the Scots Guards would not be used to replace the Black Watch operations currently underway in Iraq and whether that assurance was specific to the Scots Guards or applied to all British troops, the PMOS told journalists that what the Prime Minister had said was that, contrary to what was being suggested, there were no plans at the moment to replace the Black Watch with the Scots Guards. As the Prime Minister had said in the past, we had to wait and see the precise circumstances, but that was the reality at this stage. The important thing was that there was an absolute commitment to have the Black Watch home for Christmas, and that would be honoured. There was a commitment to see through this time-limited operation, and that would be done. The important thing was that progress was made in Falluja.
Put to him that it was a fair assumption that since the Black Watch deployment was linked to the situation Falluja, then once the situation in Falluja was resolved we would know more about the status of the Black Watch operation and what, if anything, would follow it, the PMOS said that was an analysis he could not disagree with.
Middle East
Asked how important the Prime Minister felt it was so bolster the Palestinian security apparatus, particularly with the withdrawal operation in Gaza, the PMOS said that if the pullout from Gaza went ahead, as expected, then it was important that the vacuum left behind in terms of security, in terms of the administrative ability of the Palestinian Authority and in terms of political development within Palestine be filled. It was important that we helped, along with others, in that process. This was an issue which had been analysed and would be addressed. Asked if this was an issue which would be raised with President Bush and if we would be looking for a commitment from the US, the PMOS said that it would already be part of the conversation between us and the US, and would be one element of the discussion with the President.
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