Article
Browne survives after apologising to MPs for allowing sale of stories
· Minister admits mistake after patrol's release
· Two inquiries into capture and handling of media
The defence secretary, Des Browne, yesterday admitted to MPs that he had damaged the hard-won reputation of Britain's armed forces and that he was "happy to say sorry", and announced two inquiries into how the Ministry of Defence let 15 British sailors be seized by Iranians and then permitted some of them to sell their stories to the press.
Mr Browne's apology, his reputation for integrity and the support given yesterday by the defence chiefs and key cabinet colleagues ensured his cabinet job is safe for the moment. The probable next Labour leader, Gordon Brown, has been supportive, but may shift him when he conducts his first reshuffle. The shadow defence secretary, Liam Fox, sensed the political mood in the Commons yesterday by drawing back from calling explicitly for Mr Browne's resignation, saying instead his position was "becoming untenable".
Before coming to the Commons, Mr Browne revealed that he had received the support of the chief of the defence staff and heads of the three armed services. Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the defence staff, and Sir Richard Dannata, head of the army, let it be known that they believed the defence secretary was doing "a good job".
Later Mr Browne, who has been buffeted for nine days over his handling of the propaganda counter-offensive against the Iranians, told a packed Commons that "in retrospect" he had made a mistake in agreeing to advice from the navy that sailors had to be permitted to sell their accounts. "Let me be clear with the house. I made a mistake - I have been completely open about that. And to the extent that what has happened has caused people to question the hard-won reputation of the armed forces, that is something I profoundly regret."
Under further pressure from the Tories he added: "It seems clear to me that I have expressed a degree of regret that can be equated with an apology.
"If you want me to say, 'I am sorry', I am happy to say, 'I am sorry'."
He insisted that none of the sailors had behaved inappropriately during their capture in Iran, even though they had apologised to their captors, applauded them and agreed that they had strayed into Iraqi waters. The detainees had behaved "well within the bounds" of what was "appropriate conduct in the situation that they found themselves in". Mr Browne said all but one of the 15 had been given "after-capture training". The quality of that training has already been changed, the defence minister, Lord Drayson, told the Lords, where the government received a rougher ride from furious former defence chiefs angry at what they described as smugness and third-rate advice.
In an attempt to recognise the scale of anger at his handling of the issue within the armed forces, he announced two separate inquiries. The first, more wide-ranging inquiry will be led by a former commander of the marines.
Sir Robert Fulton will examine whether the navy should have done more to prepare itself for the possibility of an Iranian seizure of a patrol boat and its crew. The six-week inquiry will cover risk and threat assessment, strategic planning, rules of engagement, training, equipment and resources. Its findings will be shown to the defence select committee. British crews have not yet resumed patrols in the waters, leaving the Americans and Australians to protect shipping lanes and Iraqi oil assets.
The second inquiry, to be conducted by an undisclosed "independent figure with experience of the media", will review regulations covering how the members of the armed services should handle the media. Dr Fox questioned why no one in government felt "responsible for the national humiliation we have suffered at the hands of the pariah regime of Iran". He accused Mr Browne of returning to his constituency at a key moment, failing to appreciate the importance of decisions he was making, and misleading the public on the degree to which Queen's Regulations required him to make decisions. Dr Fox said: "You say you were asked to note the decision. The truth is that you are asked to make the decision as secretary of state."
FAQ Inquiry questions
The inquiry led by Lt Gen Sir Robert Fulton, governor of Gibraltar and former commander of the UK's amphibious taskforce, will have to address a number of questions:
What risk and threat assessments were made of hostile action by Iran?
Military planners are open to the criticism that they were far too complacent.
Was the navy's equipment adequate?
HMS Cornwall was equipped with unarmed rigid inflatable boats, with GPS communications. The boats of the Iranian revolutionary guards had rocket grenade launchers and machine guns.
Was the training adequate ?
The navy personnel had been on a two-week "boarding course" in the UK, and a further two-day course while at sea. They did not appear to have been well versed in the issue of disputed territorial waters.
Were the rules of engagement sufficiently robust?
The patrol was armed with pistols and standard rifles. More heavily armed navy personnel could have deterred the Iranians.
How should the navy conduct its operations in the Gulf in the future?
Navy sources say they need to have discussions with the Iranians about the disputed waters. The navy has not resumed its operations in the area since the incident.