LONDON — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown insisted Friday that Britain’s Armed Forces were sufficiently equipped prior to the Iraq invasion in 2003, dismissing claims that he “guillotined” defense spending when he was chancellor.
The prime minister was grilled by the official inquiry into the Iraq war over allegations he ordered spending cuts six years ago while British troops were fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Brown denied he ruled out providing specific equipment for British troops because they were deemed too expensive, telling Sir John Chilcot’s panel he was unaware of any occasion when a Ministry of Defence (MoD) request was turned down by the Treasury.
“I made it absolutely clear that every application for equipment … had to be met by the Treasury,” he said.
Full story: British PM Brown Faces Questions Over Iraq War – FOX News