DMB
06 Mar 2010, 03:16 PM
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/admiral-slams-disingenuous-brown-over-war-funds-1917190.html
Gordon Brown's claims to have properly funded the UK military mission in Iraq were challenged today by senior military figures.
The head of the Armed Forces at the time of the 2003 invasion accused the Prime Minister of being "disingenuous" in saying that he provided military chiefs with everything they asked for...
...Gen Cross told BBC2's Newsnight: "What Gordon Brown is responding to is that the UORs that were asked of the Treasury were funded by the Treasury. What I think most people are talking about is a much broader issue of defence spending in the round from 1997/98 through to 2003, 2004 and 2005.
"I think he is talking about UORs, which he didn't turn down. The Treasury didn't refuse any of our UORs.
"What he had refused and what had been a bone of contention for some time is a much broader issue of the level of defence spending in the round.
"The defence planning assumptions were being broken year after year after year."
Lord Boyce's criticism of the Prime Minister was echoed by another former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank.
Lord Guthrie, who led the armed forces from 1997-2001, told the Daily Telegraph: "To say Gordon Brown has given the military all they asked for is simply not true.
"He cannot get away with saying 'I gave them everything they asked for', that is simply disingenuous."
Gordon Brown's claims to have properly funded the UK military mission in Iraq were challenged today by senior military figures.
The head of the Armed Forces at the time of the 2003 invasion accused the Prime Minister of being "disingenuous" in saying that he provided military chiefs with everything they asked for...
...Gen Cross told BBC2's Newsnight: "What Gordon Brown is responding to is that the UORs that were asked of the Treasury were funded by the Treasury. What I think most people are talking about is a much broader issue of defence spending in the round from 1997/98 through to 2003, 2004 and 2005.
"I think he is talking about UORs, which he didn't turn down. The Treasury didn't refuse any of our UORs.
"What he had refused and what had been a bone of contention for some time is a much broader issue of the level of defence spending in the round.
"The defence planning assumptions were being broken year after year after year."
Lord Boyce's criticism of the Prime Minister was echoed by another former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank.
Lord Guthrie, who led the armed forces from 1997-2001, told the Daily Telegraph: "To say Gordon Brown has given the military all they asked for is simply not true.
"He cannot get away with saying 'I gave them everything they asked for', that is simply disingenuous."