Hoon to give answers on Iraq

Thursday, 5 February 2004 12:00 AM

Geoff Hoon, defence secretary, will today face a double examination about the war in Iraq.

The minister is set to face questions from fellow MPs in the morning, then from the families of six British soldiers killed in Iraq.

The questions are expected to centre on how well the UK's fighting forces are kitted out, but revelations yesterday about the infamous "45-minute claim" are also likely to be brought up.

The main questions are expected to be about inappropriate kit given to soldiers deployed in Iraq.

Mr Hoon has already defended himself over the controversial 45 minute claim and the prime minister has admitted that when he said that Iraq could deploy weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes he did not know that this only referred to battlefield weapons, and not missiles.

In interviews this morning, Mr Hoon said the type of weapon the 45-minute claim referred to was "not a huge issue" in the build up to war, despite much of the press focusing on the fact.

The defence secretary admitted afterwards that he did know - but he didn't bother to inform the Tony Blair , or correct the press.

The main subject of inquiry is expected to be revelations that British troops went into the Gulf War without proper equipment.

The defence minister will be faced by the families of six Royal Military Police officers who were killed by a mob in Iraq last June. The relatives of the dead men will probably ask why they were left in danger without back-up, heavy weaponry, or radio communications.

The soldiers were in Iraq to train Iraqi policemen in Majar el-Kabir, 120 miles north of Basra.

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