As stated in “The Report of the Iraq Inquiry – Executive Summary”: “651. After visiting Iraq in early May 2003, General Sir Mike Jackson, Chief of the General Staff, observed:
‘A security vacuum still exists [in Baghdad] … particularly at night. Looting, revenge killing and subversive activities are rife … Should a bloody and protracted insurgency establish itself in Baghdad, then a ripple effect is likely to occur.’ “
– Commissioned by the Prime Minister The Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP, “The Report of the Iraq Inquiry: Executive Summary,” IraqInquiry.org.uk, May 5, 2003