Elite Forces Attack Intellegence Blunder (UK)

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 11-9-2003 | Francis Elliott

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Elite forces attack intelligence blunder

By Francis Elliott, Deputy Political Editor
(Filed: 09/11/2003)

The leaders of Britain's special forces have criticised the quality of the intelligence they received during the war in Iraq.

At a confidential briefing attended by Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, and members of the House of Commons Defence Committee, special forces commanders said "inaccurate or inadequate" information received during the conflict had almost cost lives.

As evidence, the officers, disclosed details of a mission, launched in the final days before the invasion of Iraq, which had to be aborted after an ambush.

The MPs were told that an operation to insert a unit of special forces into an area north-west of Baghdad was approved after intelligence was received that local tribesmen would welcome it.

The unit, however, was lured into an ambush by well-equipped loyalists of Saddam Hussein and was forced to flee in a fierce fire-fight.

Some soldiers were taken to safety by helicopter, others escaped across the border into Syria. An investigation into the aborted operation found the tribesmen had been bribed to switch their allegiance to Saddam.

The decision to disclose details of an aborted mission is clear evidence of considerable concern about intelligence failures.

One MP said: "On the basis of what they told us you get the feeling that they would gladly sack the intelligence services. How we didn't get blokes wiped out I don't know."