UK general attacks US Iraq policy

BBC News

 

The head of the British army during the Iraq invasion has said US post-war policy was "intellectually bankrupt".

In a Daily Telegraph interview, former chief of the general staff, Gen Sir Mike Jackson, added that US strategy had been "short-sighted".

 

He said former US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld was "one of the most responsible for the current situation".

 

The US Department of Defence said: "Divergent viewpoints are a hallmark of open, democratic societies."

 

Sir Mike told the Daily Telegraph that Mr Rumsfeld's claim that US forces "don't do nation-building" was "nonsensical".

He criticised the decision to hand control of planning the administration of Iraq after the war to the Pentagon.

He also described the disbanding of the Iraqi army and security forces after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein as "very short-sighted".

 

"We should have kept the Iraqi security services in being and put them under the command of the coalition," he said.

 

Sir Mike, who is now retired, also defended the record of British troops in Iraq after claims by US officials that UK forces had failed.

He said: "What has happened in the south, as throughout the rest of Iraq, was that primary responsibility for security would be handed to the Iraqis once the Iraqi authorities and the coalition were satisfied that their state of training and development was appropriate.

"In the south we had responsibility for four provinces. Three of these have been handed over in accordance with that strategy. It remains just in Basra for that to happen."

 

The Telegraph said that in Sir Mike's autobiography, which is being serialised in the paper, he said the US approach to fighting global terrorism was "inadequate" as it focused on military power rather than diplomacy and nation-building.

 

His comments follow a series of critical remarks from US officials about the British attitude towards Iraq.

 

US military adviser Gen Jack Keane said last week that American commanders had expressed "frustration" over the prospect of UK withdrawal.

 

BBC defence correspondent Paul Wood said Sir Mike's comments may put further strain on the British-US operation in Iraq.

 

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said Sir Mike's remarks reinforced his view that British troops should leave Iraq as soon as is practically possible.

He added: "What Gen Jackson has said is absolutely correct.

"It goes to the very heart of the lack of real planning for post-war Iraq."

 

Last week, Prime Minister Gordon Brown wrote to Mr Campbell, rejecting the Lib Dem leader's call for a timetable for withdrawing UK troops.

 

Sir Mike was also backed by the Conservative former Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind.

 

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir Malcolm said: "I think one of the most fundamental criticisms is not just that Rumsfeld was incompetent - which he was - but it was actually his boss, George Bush, who actually made the extraordinary decision to put the Pentagon and Rumsfeld in control of political nation-building after the actual war ended."

 

A spokeswoman for the US State Department said she would not comment on Sir Mike's views.

A US Department of Defence spokesman said: "Divergent viewpoints are a hallmark of open, democratic societies and that tradition is part of the military culture and ethos."

 

Do you agree or disagree with Gen Sir Mike Jackson views on the post-war in Iraq?

 

 

in a word..... yes! lol, sorry i cant add much more to that.

Why has he waited until now to say this though, if he felt like this years ago. Stating the bleeding obvious isn't he

Why has he waited until now to say this though, if he felt like this years ago. Stating the bleeding obvious isn't he

 

I have to wonder the same thing too Bri... Has he got a book coming out or summat...? <_< The Stop The War Coalition was saying this years ago, when all these fukkin "four-star" idiots were just saluting, saying "yes, sir.." to whatever utter sh!te Tony, George and Donald were saying... And the ordinary soldiers were expected to go in there and attempt to find solutions to insurmountable problems...