Iraq inquiry: 'Two wars will affect forces' supplies'
Updated on 03 February 2010
Military chiefs warned former Defence Secretary John Reid that a delay in Iraq would affect helicopter support in Afghanistan and cause "pain and grief", documents released at the Chilcot inquiry say.
Former Defence Secretary John Reid was warned in 2005 that any delay in the pullout of troops from Iraq would affect the forces' ability to improve helicopter support for troops in Afghanistan.
In an exchange of letters dated September 2005, Mr Reid asked the Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Michael Walker, to confirm that "in the event of a slower than expected drawdown of forces in Iraq our planning assumptions for a deployment in Afghanistan would be achievable".
The reply from the chief of defence staff's office said "the short answer is yes", but went on to note that "such a situation would lead to some pain and grief".
Specifically, it noted, "the hoped for easement of our current "pinch points" -especially helicopter support, specialist intelligence gathering, and certain logistic functions (notably medical and some combat service support trades) would be delayed".
Speaking at the inquiry today, Mr Reid said the documents showed that he had received assurances that "involving ourselves in southern Afghanistan would not require us to draw down forces in Iraq.
The exchange followed a decision taken in July 2005 to cut troop numbers in southern Iraq from 8,500 to 3,000 by the middle of 2006, and to increase forces in Afghanistan by 3,000.
But although the chief of defence staff's memo says "we will still be able to deliver our...mandated force levels in Afghanistan", it is clear there was unease in military circles about the logistical support available to the troops.
And while he says that "our plan in Afghanistan is not predicated on withdrawal of such capabilities from Iraq", the caveats in his letter do also illustrate the fact that military leaders were warning of potential problems with lack of equipment - specifically helicopters - if Britain were to become more heavily involved in Afghanistan while maintaining a sizeable force in Iraq.
The government has faced repeated criticism from opposition parties, and from some of the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan, for failing to get the necessary equipment to frontline troops in Afghanistan.
Specifically, a shortage of helicopters has been blamed for the number of casualties among troops hit by roadside bombs while travelling overland.
John Reid said today that America's approach to the conflict in Iraq was a direct response to their experiences in Vietnam.
"You cannot truly appreciate America's approach to Iraq without also recognising the legacy and the inherited culture from Americans military doctrine in Vietnam onwards," he said.
"The terrible mistake, I think, is not to recognise that Iraq is not Vietnam."
Budget "guillotined"
Defence chiefs had to cut projects for helicopters, warships and Nimrod spy planes after Gordon Brown "guillotined" their budget, the Iraq inquiry heard today.
The former top civil servant at the Ministry of Defence spoke of the "crisis period" when Mr Brown as Chancellor slashed military spending six months after the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Sir Kevin Tebbit said the MoD had to launch an "across-the-board major savings exercise" to meet the Treasury's "arbitrary" cuts.
Projects affected included helicopters, Nimrod spy planes, Royal Navy destroyers, frigates, minesweepers and patrol vessels, Challenger tanks, AS90 artillery and Jaguar aircraft, he told the inquiry.
The MoD also had to reduce numbers of Armed Forces personnel and civil servants.
John Reid told the inquiry that he disagreed with Sir Kevin's statement. Although it was "tough", he said, the government gave the military what they needed during the conflict in Iraq.
"I might be the only witness you've got saying this but both the secretary to the Treasury, who become defence secretary and the chancellor who become prime minister, and is prime minister now, gave us what we needed," he said.
