US Slowed British Troop Withdrawal

Simon McDonald, Gordon Brown's foreign affairs adviser, has told the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war that the US pressured the UK to withdraw its troops a "bit more slowly" from Iraq.

Brown originally announced he wanted to cut the British force from more than 4,000 to 2,500 during 2008.

However, this was adjusted following discussions with the US over an Iraqi attempt to take control of Basra from militia groups.

Blair's Daily Instructions

The Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war has resumed, with the revelation that Tony Blair made daily phone calls to Sir William Patey (the British ambassador in Iraq 2005-2006) to give institutions as to what needed to be done to stabilise the country.

All very well, maybe.

However, as Sir William wryly pointed out, the instructions "weren't in my gift or solely in the gift of the British government".

It seems that there was a reality gap in expectations between what Blair (in London wanted), and what could actually be achieved on the ground in Iraq.

Quote:

"There was a tension between the desire for instant results and the realities on the ground. What you could achieve in the sort of timescales that London needed for political reasons; there was a disconnect."

Sir William's most scathing comment attacks the very style and "substance" (of which there is little) of Labour and its governing "style" itself:

"What could be delivered on PowerPoint could not necessarily be delivered on earth."

Madness

The media reports that Prince Charles, who had access to the same intelligence papers and briefing notes that Tony Blair had in the run up to the invasion of Iraq, lobbied senior politicians against invading Iraq.

Reports state that the Prince referred to Blair as "our glorious leader", and stated that going to war would be "madness".

However, those who hope for clarification of these reports in the ongoing Chilcot Inquiry into the war will be disappointed.

Paddy Harverson, the Prince's communications secretary, stated that Prince Charles would not cooperate with any such request from the Inquiry. Communications between the Royal Family and government are private.

Softly Softly

In adjourning for the Christmas break, Sir john Chilcot has denied the frequent criticisms levelled at him and his inquiry into the Iraq war that he and his fellow committee members are soft on witnesses.

Let us see what 2010 brings!

BLIAR

I see that Blair claims that he would have gone to war anyway, irrespective of WMD.

He claims that he could have presented the rationale for the war without the WMD.

Funny he didn't make that case then at the time.

Could it be that he knew full well that the excuse of WMD (whether they existed or not) would be the only way to persuade the British people to back his private war?

In other words he knew that his "rationale" for war would not stand up to scrutiny.

Darth Vader

Sir John Sawers, now head of MI6 but once a close adviser to Tony Blair, told the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war that foolish decisions to disband the Iraqi army and dismiss thousands of members of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party were taken by the US alone without taking into account British advice.

These decisions, as predicted at the time by those with some understanding of Iraq, proved to be disastrous and significantly contributed to the chaos that followed the ousting of Saddam.

Sawers said that the decisions were taken by Paul Bremer, US head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, on the basis of "pre-agreed Washington policy".

Sawers was also less than complimentary about the attire of US soldiers, which he believed caused a lack of rapport with the locals:

"the posture of the US army in their tanks, in their Darth Vader kit with the wraparound sunglasses and helmets and flak jackets and everything else. There was no real rapport between the US army and the ordinary citizens."

However, whilst it may satisfy Labour party politics to blame the US, the UK had the choice not to become involved in this folly; Labour only have themselves to blame for this mess.

Blair Knew There Were No WMDs

Sir John Scarlett, head of the Joint Intelligence Committee in the run-up to the Iraq war, told the Chilcot Inquiry into the war that Tony Blair knew that last-minute intelligence revealed that Saddam Hussein had probably dismantled his chemical and biological weaponry.

Iraq and The EU

A small "pop quiz" to start the day with.

Pop quiz

Held Together By Chicken Wire

As news comes out of Iraq that 100 people have been killed in terrorist bombings, the Chilcot Inquiry into Iraq heard from Maj Gen Tim Cross, who liaised with the US on reconstruction efforts before the invasion, who said that planning for after the war was "woefully thin".

Indeed so concerned was Maj Cross about the lack of planning, that he urged Tony Blair to delay the invasion.

Blair, true to form, ignored the advice.

Gen Cross went on to say that, when he went to Iraq, the situation was far worse than he feared and that "Baghdad was held together by chicken wire and chewing gum".

Doctors Call For New Kelly Inquest

Six doctors are calling for a new inquest into the death of Dr David Kelly, the UN weapons inspector hounded to death by the government for leaking the fact that evidence for the Iraq invasion had been "sexed up".

There are those who believe that Dr Kelly was in fact murdered, rather than committed suicide. His body was discovered in woodland 6 years ago, his wrist had been slashed and he had taken painkillers.

The 6 doctors (Dr Stephen Frost, Dr Michael Powers QC, Martin Birnstingl, Dr Christopher Burns-Cox, David Halpin, and Dr Andrew Rouse), in a 13-page dossier calling for a new inquest, argue that the bleeding from Dr Kelly's ulnar artery in his left wrist is "highly unlikely" to have caused his death.