- Secret plans for the war in Iraq were passed to British
Army chiefs by US defence planners five months before the invasion was
launched, a court martial heard yesterday.
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- The revelation strengthened suspicions that Tony Blair
gave his agreement to President George Bush to go to war while the diplomatic
efforts to force Saddam Hussein to comply with UN resolutions were continuing.
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- Alan Simpson, the leader of Labour Against the War, said
the documents were "dynamite", if genuine, and showed that Clare
Short was right to assert in her book, serialised in The Independent, that
Mr Blair had "knowingly misled" Parliament.
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- The plans were revealed during the court martial of L/Cpl
Ian Blaymire, 23, from Leeds, who is charged with the manslaughter of a
comrade while serving in Iraq. Sgt John Nightingale, 32, a reservist from
Guiseley, West Yorkshire, died after being shot in the chest on 23 September
last year.
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- The court, at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, heard
that contingency plans were drawn up by Lt Col Christopher Warren, staff
officer at Land Command, Salisbury, Wiltshire, who was responsible for
operational training.
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- Lt Col Warren said US planners had passed on dates for
which the invasion was planned. The hearing was told Army chiefs wanted
the training for the Army to start at the beginning of December 2002. However,
due to "sensitivities" the training was delayed.
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- The court heard the training for the TA began two months
late and for the regular Army one month late. Lt Col Warren was asked what
the sensitivities were. He replied: "Because in December there was
a world interest. If the UK had mobilised while all this was going on that
would have shown an intent before the political process had been allowed
to run its course."
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- The hearing was adjourned.
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