Blair drew up secret plans for Iraq war nine months before invasion

London Tony Blair drew up secret plans for the invasion of Iraq nine months before the outbreak of war, it was revealed yesterday.

His former foreign policy adviser revealed Blair ordered military planners to begin work in June 2002.

The Prime Minister demanded British plans after President George W. Bush told him America was preparing to topple Saddam Hussain in April 2002.

Sir David Manning, who was Blair's personal envoy in war planning negotiations, revealed that the United States had set up a secret ‘cell' at Central Command to plan the invasion.

By July that year, while the prime minister was still insisting that he wanted to go down the diplomatic route to disarm Saddam, the Ministry of Defence presented him with three proposals for British troop deployments.

Blair settled on the most aggressive plan, sending 20,000 troops, and in September British military officials joined a secret ‘cell' of war planners at Central Command in Florida.

Sir David's explosive revelations are particularly significant because he knows more about Blair's plans and intentions than anyone else who has so far testified to the Chilcot inquiry.

Crucially, he claimed that once Blair had committed himself to Bush, there was no turning back.

"I think his view was that he expected to be with the United States at the end," Sir David said.

The diplomat — who went on to become ambassador to Washington and is now an adviser to Princes William and Harry — revealed that President Bush first raised the prospect of military action against Saddam just three days after the 9/11 attacks in September 2001.

Blair resisted that suggestion but Sir David said the April 2002 summit set Britain on the path to war.

After that, he said Blair "was absolutely prepared to contemplate regime change if [getting UN resolutions to disarm Saddam] didn't work." Yesterday feelings ran high outside the inquiry. At one point a demonstrator burned an effigy of Blair.

Inside, Sir David was asked when Britain first decided to take part in military action.

Three options

"In July 2002 a letter was sent to the Prime Minister from the defence secretary's office saying there were three options if we found ourselves involved in military action."

Defence chiefs gave Blair the option of using existing British troops and bases in the Gulf, a second "enhanced support package" with more aircraft and warships, or a full blown invasion by an Army division requiring six months of preparations."

But Sir David added that by October: "There was an acceptance that if it came to military action we would be willing to move to package three."

— Daily Mail