Iraq inquiry: Bremer says UK backed post-war plan

[sabra]

Source: BBC

British officials backed the purge of Saddam-era officials, the US administrator of post-invasion Iraq has told the Chilcot inquiry.

Senior British diplomats and Army officers have blamed Iraq's post-war descent into chaos on Paul Bremer's policy of de-Baathification.

But Mr Bremer told the inquiry UK officials agreed with it at the time.

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Unlike in the UK, where most of the evidence sessions have been televised, the discussions, conducted between 17 and 21 May, were held behind closed doors.

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In his evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry in December, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the former British ambassador to the UN, said the US had been over-optimistic in its attitude towards rebuilding Iraq after the invasion.

He said Mr Bremer had refused to appoint him as his deputy, claiming that Britain had been cut out of the post-war decision-making process.

"He did not want to hand over to a non-American as acting administrator when he left the country to return to Washington," said Sir Jeremy.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/politics/10184461.stm

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more:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64R2P620100528?type=politicsNews

Iraq war badly planned, poorly resourced: Bremer

LONDON (Reuters) - Planning for the 2003 invasion of Iraq was inadequate and not enough troops were sent to ensure post-conflict security, the former U.S. diplomat who led the civilian occupation authority after the war has told a British inquiry.

Paul Bremer, who governed Iraq's Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) for 13 months after President Saddam Hussein was toppled, said there had been a serious miscalculation by those responsible for planning the invasion.

"It is impossible to exaggerate the difficulties created by the chronic under-resourcing of the CPA's efforts," Bremer said in a statement, made public Friday, to an inquiry examining Britain's role in the war.

"This problem, and the fact that the coalition was unable to provide adequate security for Iraqi citizens, pervaded virtually everything we did, or tried to do, throughout the 14 months of the CPA's existence."

[Solly Mack]

1. k/r

[Arctic Dave]

2. Poor planning?

Is that like having your arms and legs cut off and saying its a flesh wound?