London, March 06: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told an official Iraq War inquiry on Friday that joining the 2003 US-led invasion had been the right decision and that he had provided the necessary funding for military action.
Brown, appearing just weeks before an election to discuss the Iraq War, acknowledged the human cost of the conflict, said mistakes had been made in the chaotic aftermath of the invasion but distanced himself from the most contentious decisions.
“I believe we made the right decision for the right reasons,” Brown told the five-person inquiry that he set up last year to learn lessons from the conflict following the withdrawal of British troops.
Brown said that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein was a “serial violator” of international law and that tackling him had been an important test for world powers after the Cold War.
“Obviously the loss of life is something that leaves us all sad, the loss of life particularly after the success of the initial military operation to remove Saddam Hussein is something that leaves me very sad indeed,” he said.
Brown, Finance Minister at the time of the invasion, is the most prominent figure to give evidence since his predecessor Tony Blair made a highly publicised appearance in January.
While Blair was criticised for saying he had no regrets about the conflict, Brown expressed sorrow for the deaths of both British servicemen and Iraqi civilians at the beginning and end of the hearing.
“There was no time… when the Treasury said this is a better military option because it’s cheaper or less costly,” Brown told the inquiry. “Every request that military commanders made to us was answered. No request was ever turned down.”
The invasion of Iraq has been one of the most damaging episodes during the Labour Party’s 13 years in power, provoking internal divisions and huge public protests.
With an election due by June 3 and polls indicating that Britain is on course for a hung Parliament, Brown would have wanted to avoid giving ammunition to his opponents.
——Agencies