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Iraq (Basra Incident)

I echo the condolences that the Secretary of State expressed and extend Conservative Members’ sympathy to the families and friends of those who were killed. This tragedy has seen our most senior servicemen so far and our first servicewoman killed in action in Iraq. It is worth remembering that they are not there as an army of occupation but represent hope for the majority of the Iraqi people, who want to live in a democratic system, with a fair rule of law and under a constitution that they designed. In paying tribute to those who were killed, we should remember that they were there fulfilling a noble purpose. I welcome the Secretary of State to his new job but I am sorry that such a sombre occasion brings him to the House. I should like to ask him about four broad matters. Many of those who have been in Iraq recently say that the Army’s footprint in Basra is so reduced that we seem more like visitors in the city than in control of it. The Secretary of State said that Major-General Cooper is happy with the number of troops at his disposal. Is he happy that sufficient reinforcements are available to deploy quickly to deal with the unexpected? Will the Secretary of State assure us that there will be no further troop withdrawals until he has satisfied himself on the point? There was speculation over the weekend that the helicopter may have been brought down by a rocket-propelled grenade or similar device. Like the Secretary of State, I do not see any point in speculating further on that. Will he, however, look into the operational capability of the Lynx helicopter, especially its speed and its ability to operate in hot weather, as those factors could contribute to its vulnerability? Will he also look into the early procurement of more Lynxes to ensure that we minimise the risk to our servicemen and women not only in Iraq but in the read-across to Afghanistan? The House will be pleased that the Secretary of State talked about the restoration of co-operation with the local authorities. Given that our servicemen are putting themselves at risk for the people of Iraq, however, most people in the United Kingdom would be horrified by the idea that they were not getting the full co-operation of those authorities. Will the right hon. Gentleman take the opportunity to ask the new Foreign Secretary to raise with the Iraqi Government the role of the governor of Basra, because maintaining security and safety on the ground is one of the ways of maximising the protection of those in the air? The Secretary of State mentioned a number of weapons that are available to insurgents and terrorists in Iraq. Does he have any information on the origins of those weapons? His predecessor—now the Home Secretary—told the House that there was evidence that weapons were coming in from Hezbollah. I want to know whether there is further evidence of any weapons coming directly from Iran, either from the Government there or via Hezbollah, because that also has a major read-across to what is happening in Afghanistan. Mistakes have been made in Iraq that have made our involvement there more difficult and probably longer than needed. However, I completely agree with the Secretary of State that early withdrawal is not a solution for the people of Iraq or for stability in the region. The Government have a duty to maximise the success of the mission in Iraq, and to minimise the risk to our servicemen and women. I hope that the Secretary of State will take advantage of his new position to look into the issues that I have raised today, and to ensure that he is confident that he is fulfilling both those tasks.