Blair 'prevented' proper preparation for Iraq war

London : Military chiefs were banned from buying equipment for British troops for months before the invasion of Iraq because Tony Blair did not want anyone to know he was preparing for war.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon even ordered the head of the Armed Forces, Lord Boyce, not to speak to the head of defence logistics, responsible for ensuring service personnel have the right kit.

Boyce, former Chief of the Defence staff, told the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war that he was not allowed to call up reservists to get them ready for the conflict.

Frustration

He said that was "extremely frustrating" and revealed he was slapped down by ministers who told him to stop complaining about the "political vacuum" that hampered military planning.

The revelations are the most explicit confirmation yet that the refusal of Blair to admit that he was preparing for war contributed to the shortages of body armour and other kit in the early days of the conflict.

Boyce told the inquiry that military planning for a possible war began as soon as President Bush branded Iraq a member of the "Axis of Evil" in January 2002, 14 months before the invasion. A small group in the Ministry of Defence "ramped up" their planning after Blair met the President at his Texas ranch in April 2002.

But it was not until November that year, just four months before the war, that defence chiefs were able to make "overt" preparations for the invasion.

Issue raised

Boyce said he raised his concerns with Blair and also demanded a statement from the Attorney General that the war was legal. But he was told off, apparently by Hoon.

"I was taken aside from time to time and asked to make more of a glass-half-full rather than half-empty assessment," he said.

Boyce confirmed that the delays meant the 7th Armoured Brigade — the Desert Rats — were battle-ready only on March 19, 2003, the day before the invasion.

— Daily Mail