A secret deal with a notorious Iraqi militia group kept 4,000 British troops out of a fierce battle in the southern city of Basra earlier this year, a London newspaper reported Tuesday.
The Times, citing anonymous senior British defence sources and American and Iraqi military contacts, said the British army had a secret "accommodation" deal with the al-Mahdi army, a militia loyal to radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
The controversial deal, struck a year ago, was aimed at coercing the Shia militia back into the political process, the Times said. Under the agreement, the British army was not to go into Basra, an area where al-Sadr's militia is prominent, unless British Defence Secretary Des Browne had specifically given his permission to do so.
As a result, U.S. and Iraqi soldiers were left to fight a six-day battle in March by themselves, while 4,000 British soldiers watched from the sidelines, the Times said. U.S. marines and soldiers were rushed to the area, and about 60 Iraqis and seven Americans were killed and injured in the battle — which included street battles, mortar fire and roadside bombs.
Sources told the Times that by the time Browne gave his troops the OK to get involved, the battle was over and hundreds of militia members had been arrested and killed. The British sources said the secret deal has turned out to be a costly mistake that has dealt a blow to Britain's military reputation among high-ranking U.S. officials.
British military denies deal held troops back
The British military would not officially confirm the deal, and a spokesman for the defence department said the reason troops held back in Basra was because the mission was to be Iraqi-led, and there was no "structure in place" for British units to enter the city and mentor the Iraqi army.
"When the action was launched, British forces provided a raft of military support including armour, artillery, airpower, medical and logistic support," the ministry said, according to the Associated Press.
The British military turned over provincial control of Basra to the Iraqi government in late December despite vicious infighting between Shia factions and widespread militia infiltration of local security forces. British troops remained on standby at their airport base outside the city after the power shift occurred.
Despite the British military's refusal to officially confirm the deal, American and Iraqi officials confirmed its existence and condemned the deal.
"I was not happy," Lt.-Col. Chuck Western of the U.S. marines told the Times. "Everybody just assumed that because this deal was cut, nobody was going in. Cutting a deal with the bad guys is generally not a good idea."
Despite his criticism, he said he still believes the British army is first-rate.
