Gordon Brown blames generals for Snatch Land Rover fiasco
Gordon Brown has angrily rejected accusations that he underfunded UK forces in Iraq, deflecting the blame for the Army's use of vulnerable Snatch Land Rovers on to the generals who were responsible for ordering the vehicles.
Testifying before the Chilcot inquiry, Mr Brown said that every single request for equipment had been approved and the Treasury had "immediately" committed £90 million for the purchase of new armoured vehicles after it became apparent that the Land Rovers did not protect against roadside bombs.
Having clearly decided that attack can be the best form of defence, he went on to lay the blame for equipment shortages on the generals who should have predicted the operational needs of their troops.
"I have to stress it is not for me to make the military decisions on the ground about the use of particular vehicles," Mr Brown told the panel. "What I can, however, say is that at every point we were asked to provide money and the resources for new equipment or for improving equipment, we made that money available."
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Mr Brown has been accused by both retired generals and the relatives of servicemen killed in Iraq of having starved the Armed Forces of funding both before and after the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
Among those criticising the Prime Minister and former Chancellor was General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, former chief of the Defence Staff, who told The Timesyesterday that the lack of funding had "undoubtedly cost the lives of soldiers".
During today's testimony, Mr Brown was asked to respond to the concerns of bereaved relatives angered by the use of the vulnerable Land Rovers.
He replied: "I think if you look at the question of expenditure in Iraq you have to start with this one fundamental truth: that every requirement made to us by military commanders was answered; no request was ever turned down.
"And I would add to that, so long as I have been Prime Minister, I have always asked the military at the point at which they are undertaking any new operation, can they assure me that they have the equipment that they need for the task that they are undertaking. And at every point the answer to the question is, ’for the operation we are undertaking, we have the equipment and we have the resources that are necessary’."
He went on: "I don’t believe that any prime minister would send our troops into conflict without the assurance from the military that they had the equipment necessary for the operations.
"And I do not believe that there was any request that was made for equipment during the course of these events in Iraq that was turned down."
The Prime Minister was asked about the decision to replace Snatch Land Rovers with more heavily-armoured vehicles, including the Mastiff and the Bulldog, and he said that the £90 million replacement programme was agreed immediately and the vehicles bought within months.
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