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War aftermath plans 'essential'
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Preparing for the aftermath of conflict is essential in planning for future overseas military operations involving British troops, MPs have warned.
The Commons Defence Committee said that right from the outset, planners needed to adopt a "comprehensive approach", bringing in officials from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development (Dfid).
It said the Prime Minister should also consider appointing a lead minister to co-ordinate the Government effort across Whitehall.
The committee's report follows widespread criticism of the lack of planning for the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq by British and US forces in 2003, highlighted in evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry into the conflict.
It said while the need for a "clear strategy and vision" had now been recognised in Afghanistan, many of the lessons of earlier conflicts such as the Balkans in the 1990s and Malaya in the 1950s had had to be painfully relearned.
"The need for post-conflict reconstruction and stabilisation should be recognised and incorporated into the planning at the earliest stages," it said.
"It is crucial that, in all situations requiring the comprehensive approach, certain elements should be agreed at the very earliest stage based on a thorough and all-embracing assessment of the situation.
"These elements include leadership, objectives, a defined end state, strategy, tactics and the nature of personnel required."
The committee called on the MoD, the Foreign Office and Dfid to develop a joint doctrine, setting out how they will work together in future, to be incorporated into the forthcoming strategic defence review.
Committee chairman James Arbuthnot said: "Communication is a key component of the use of the comprehensive approach and any strategy must include plans for conveying the strategic intent of the mission to local nationals and also the British public in an informative but fair and balanced way."
