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PM visits soldiers in Afghanistan PM visits soldiers in Afghanistan
(20 minutes later)
The prime minister has visited British troops in Afghanistan as a row grows over his evidence to the Iraq inquiry. Gordon Brown has visited British troops in Afghanistan amid a row over how well forces were equipped in the Iraq war.
Gordon Brown's aides told the BBC he rejected criticism from two former Army chiefs that as chancellor he denied pleas to send more equipment to Iraq. The PM told the Chilcot Inquiry no request for equipment was refused but ex-Army chiefs challenged that claim.
No 10 also fiercely denied Conservative claims Mr Brown was using the visit to divert attention away from the row. The Tories said his trip to Helmand province was a "cynical" bid to deflect attention from the row, but Mr Brown said it had been planned for some time.
During his visit the PM promised new military vehicles to replace the controversial Snatch Land Rovers. The PM promised 200 new patrol vehicles for British troops to give them better protection against roadside bombs.
The Land Rovers have been criticised for leaving UK troops vulnerable to attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs). They will replace the controversial Snatch Land Rovers which have been criticised for leaving UK troops vulnerable to attacks.
'Extremely cynical'
Senior officers also told the prime minister the military phase of their current campaign in Afghanistan had been largely successful.
He cannot get away with saying 'I gave them everything they asked for'. That is simply disingenuous Lord Guthrie Iraq inquiry: Day-by-day timeline Iraq war was 'right', says Brown Long-haul battle for AfghanistanHe cannot get away with saying 'I gave them everything they asked for'. That is simply disingenuous Lord Guthrie Iraq inquiry: Day-by-day timeline Iraq war was 'right', says Brown Long-haul battle for Afghanistan
The visit took place as two former defence chiefs took issue with Mr Brown's evidence on Friday to the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war, in which he said military leaders overseeing the Iraq war were given everything they asked for. During his flying visit he told troops: "We will do everything we can to support you with the equipment necessary and the resources you need."
Lord Guthrie, ex-chief of the defence staff, wrote in the Daily Telegraph that armed forces had been denied a request for more helicopters. On Friday Mr Brown also told the Iraq inquiry that, when he was chancellor during the 2003 war, no military requests were refused.
And his successor, Lord Boyce, told the Times Mr Brown had been "disingenuous" about funding policy. He said: "At any point, commanders were able to ask for equipment that they needed and I know of no occasion when they were turned down."
On Friday Mr Brown told the Iraq inquiry UK forces had been given all the equipment they had asked for. But Lord Guthrie, ex-chief of the defence staff, told the Daily Telegraph armed forces had been denied a request for more helicopters.
He told the panel: "At any point, commanders were able to ask for equipment that they needed and I know of no occasion when they were turned down." He said: "He cannot get away with saying 'I gave them everything they asked for'. That is simply disingenuous."
Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox accuses PM of using armed forces as "political props" Gordon Brown told troops he would do everything he could to support them
On Saturday, he also rejected Tory criticisms the visit might deflect attention away from other matters, saying he had planned the trip to Helmand province for some time. And his successor, Lord Boyce, told the Times: "There may have been a 1.5% increase in the defence budget but the MoD was starved of funds."
As well as promising a new light patrol vehicle, Mr Brown also pledged another 2,000 metal detectors for British forces during his visit. Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said the defence secretary had already announced on 15 December that the new armoured vehicles would be introduced.
But shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said the defence secretary had already announced on 15 December that new armoured vehicles would be introduced.
He told the BBC: "We get the news re-announced the day after the prime minister gives evidence at Chilcot, when former defence chiefs say he wasn't telling the truth about armed forces funding.He told the BBC: "We get the news re-announced the day after the prime minister gives evidence at Chilcot, when former defence chiefs say he wasn't telling the truth about armed forces funding.
"This is not the way to treat our armed forces and I think there will be a lot of people in the armed forces very unhappy at being used as political props today.""This is not the way to treat our armed forces and I think there will be a lot of people in the armed forces very unhappy at being used as political props today."
Another former defence chief and Conservative adviser, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Brown may have been "narrowly and precisely correct" on his evidence on military spending, but had not addressed the issue of "underlying underfunding".
At any point, commanders were able to ask for equipment that they needed Prime Minister Gordon Brown Full story: Brown grilled Q&A: Snatch Land RoversAt any point, commanders were able to ask for equipment that they needed Prime Minister Gordon Brown Full story: Brown grilled Q&A: Snatch Land Rovers
Other opposition parties joined in the criticism with Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey saying while it may be "literally" true every formal request for equipment was met, the requests were always made under a financial constraint.Other opposition parties joined in the criticism with Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey saying while it may be "literally" true every formal request for equipment was met, the requests were always made under a financial constraint.
The Scottish National Party's Westminster leader Angus Robertson said the PM "must appear again" before the Chilcot inquiry following the military chiefs' criticisms.The Scottish National Party's Westminster leader Angus Robertson said the PM "must appear again" before the Chilcot inquiry following the military chiefs' criticisms.
During his flying visit to southern Afghanistan, Mr Brown told troops: "We will do everything we can to support you with the equipment necessary and the resources you need." £100m investment
Mr Brown said early gains in Operation Moshtarak - the campaign to push the Taliban out of central Helmand - offered a "beacon of hope" to the Afghan people. In a swift tour which took in bases captured only weeks ago from the Taliban, Mr Brown met and thanked some of the 4,000 British forces who took part in the opening phase of Operation Moshtarak.
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/default.stm">More from Today programme Asked whether the trip amounted to electioneering, the PM said: "I am here because I want to thank the British troops for their bravery, their dedication and their professionalism."
He thanked The First Battalion The Royal Welsh for capturing the town of Shawal as part of the operation. Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox accuses PM of using armed forces as "political props"
Lord Guthrie, who led the armed forces from 1997 to 2001, wrote in the Telegraph the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had "received the bare minimum from the chancellor, who wanted to give the military as little as he could get away with". His aides said that Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth will announce within weeks the £100m investment in the new British-built vehicles, which should arrive in Afghanistan by late 2011.
He said: "He cannot get away with saying 'I gave them everything they asked for'. That is simply disingenuous." The new vehicles are smaller and lighter than the Mastiff and Ridgeback armoured personnel carriers which are already taking over some of the tasks of the more vulnerable Snatch.
Lord Boyce, who was chief of the Defence Staff up to the beginning of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, added: "[Gordon Brown] is dissembling, he's being disingenuous. It's just not the case that the Ministry of Defence was given everything it needed". They also said an additional £18m will also be spent on equipment and training for Afghan forces to deal with the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) used by the Taliban.
And 150 new instructors from the UK police and Army will also be deployed to train Afghan police.