The Americans were told nearly a year before the Iraq invasion that they could expect an "armoured division" from the UK, it has emerged.The revelation is in a secret document published by the UK's Iraq war inquiry.
At the time the UK was not officially committed to military action or involved in planning for the invasion.Then chief of the defence staff, Admiral Lord Boyce, told the inquiry the "UK officer" who made the pledge was not authorised to do so.
At that time, in May 2002, the UK was still considering restricting any possible involvement in an invasion to air and sea forces.And Prime Minister Tony Blair has insisted that although he had told President Bush to count on the UK for support in the event of war, the UK had not at that time decided to join military action.
Lord Boyce said the Ministry of Defence had been unable to find the "UK officer" who made the troops pledge - and suggested that he may not have existed."Where this division on the table came from I have absolutely no idea," Lord Boyce told the inquiry.
"Whether the Americans jumped to that conclusion because we provided a division during Desert Storm in 1991, which I suspect could easily be the case, I don't know."No one had authority to make that offer down the MoD chain."
'Surprised and alarmed'
He added: "When this blew up, in the summer, at the MoD we were unable to find out who this person was so I don't believe there was such a person.
"I think it was an assumption that was made - 'Oh you will do what you did before when you went into Iraq, we can expect a division can't we?' - and that rhetorical question was never answered and it was then an assumption."
The Americans were given "no reason or comfort in that area" by anyone in authority on the UK side, he stressed.The declassified document is from the office of then defence secretary Geoff Hoon to Lord Boyce's office, after foreign policy adviser Sir David Manning's visit to Washington on 17 May 2002.
It says: "The Secretary of State was surprised and concerned to read the suggestion that a 'UK officer in Tampa' had indicated to the Administration that 'the UK would provide an armoured division' for action against Iraq.
"Given the very close hold under which contingency planning for Iraq has been conducted and the fact that no options have yet been presented to ministers, the Secretary of State would be grateful for any light which can be thrown upon this story."
Lord Boyce also told the inquiry that toppling Saddam Hussein was never the aim of the UK's armed forces in 2003's invasion - unlike the Americans - but they were prepared for it to happen as a consequence of the effort to disarm him.And he described how obtaining funds for equipment out of the Treasury was "like getting blood out of a stone".
The then Prime Minister Tony Blair told the Iraq inquiry last week that he never rejected any requests for equipment.But Lord Boyce said that when the requests landed on the desk of Chancellor Gordon Brown, "there was a brick wall" - and that had had an impact on the speed of preparations for war.
He also stressed that a "military adventure" in Iraq was never part of the UK military's thinking in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks and they only became involved in planning some time after Mr Blair's private meeting with US President George Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, in April 2002.
At the time the UK was not officially committed to military action or involved in planning for the invasion.Then chief of the defence staff, Admiral Lord Boyce, told the inquiry the "UK officer" who made the pledge was not authorised to do so.
At that time, in May 2002, the UK was still considering restricting any possible involvement in an invasion to air and sea forces.And Prime Minister Tony Blair has insisted that although he had told President Bush to count on the UK for support in the event of war, the UK had not at that time decided to join military action.
Lord Boyce said the Ministry of Defence had been unable to find the "UK officer" who made the troops pledge - and suggested that he may not have existed."Where this division on the table came from I have absolutely no idea," Lord Boyce told the inquiry.
"Whether the Americans jumped to that conclusion because we provided a division during Desert Storm in 1991, which I suspect could easily be the case, I don't know."No one had authority to make that offer down the MoD chain."
'Surprised and alarmed'
He added: "When this blew up, in the summer, at the MoD we were unable to find out who this person was so I don't believe there was such a person.
"I think it was an assumption that was made - 'Oh you will do what you did before when you went into Iraq, we can expect a division can't we?' - and that rhetorical question was never answered and it was then an assumption."
The Americans were given "no reason or comfort in that area" by anyone in authority on the UK side, he stressed.The declassified document is from the office of then defence secretary Geoff Hoon to Lord Boyce's office, after foreign policy adviser Sir David Manning's visit to Washington on 17 May 2002.
It says: "The Secretary of State was surprised and concerned to read the suggestion that a 'UK officer in Tampa' had indicated to the Administration that 'the UK would provide an armoured division' for action against Iraq.
"Given the very close hold under which contingency planning for Iraq has been conducted and the fact that no options have yet been presented to ministers, the Secretary of State would be grateful for any light which can be thrown upon this story."
Lord Boyce also told the inquiry that toppling Saddam Hussein was never the aim of the UK's armed forces in 2003's invasion - unlike the Americans - but they were prepared for it to happen as a consequence of the effort to disarm him.And he described how obtaining funds for equipment out of the Treasury was "like getting blood out of a stone".
The then Prime Minister Tony Blair told the Iraq inquiry last week that he never rejected any requests for equipment.But Lord Boyce said that when the requests landed on the desk of Chancellor Gordon Brown, "there was a brick wall" - and that had had an impact on the speed of preparations for war.
He also stressed that a "military adventure" in Iraq was never part of the UK military's thinking in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks and they only became involved in planning some time after Mr Blair's private meeting with US President George Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, in April 2002.
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