Army blasts Blair
Army blasts Blair for delaying fresh Iraq deployment
By Sean Rayment Defence Correspondent
(Filed: 30/05/2004)
Tony Blair's decision to postpone the announcement of crucial troop reinforcements for Iraq until after the local and European elections has infuriated defence chiefs.
Senior officers believe that the decision to delay deployment plans could have serious consequences for the 8,700 British troops in Iraq.
Defence chiefs have called for 4,000 more troops
They fear the delay will be seen by insurgents as a sign of weakness and will encourage more attacks on troops.
"The Government can't fight the war as though it were taking place in Surrey," said one senior officer, accusing ministers of risking the lives of troops for short-term political advantage. "We have to be bold, strong and decisive."
He continued: "Military strategy has become subservient to political expediency. We want to get on with the task [of reinforcement], but we're being held back for political reasons - namely [next week's] elections. The assumption is that the electorate will launch a protest vote because of growing disenchantment with the crisis in Iraq.
"Security in southern Iraq is deteriorating daily. The enemy is becoming more confident and using a wider range of weapons. The prognosis is not good."
Defence chiefs have been pressing No 10 for 4,000 more troops to be sent in a move that would see the whole of southern Iraq come under the control of the British-dominated Nato Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps.
Last week, however, Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, told MPs that only a token force of 200 armoured infantry troops and 170 engineers was being sent.
Ian Gibson, the Labour chairman of the Commons science and technology select committee, said he thought plans for large-scale reinforcements were being kept in ministers' "bottom drawers". "This would be a very difficult time politically to send more troops, given the unpopularity of the war and its aftermath," he said.