Lt Gen Frederick Viggers, Britain’s senior military representative in Iraq, today said lives had been lost in Iraq as a result of the fact that “amateurs” who did not have the experience to perform were in key roles.

Lt Gen Viggers said the operation had suffered from a lack of direction and a clear idea of what would be faced from the beginning.

“It was rather like going to the theatre and seeing one sort of play and realising you were watching a tragedy as the curtains came back,” he said.

Without naming individuals, he said he blamed those at the highest levels of government.

“I am not talking about the soldiers and commanders and civilians… who did a great job. But it’s the intellectual horsepower (sic) that drives these things [which] needs better co-ordination,” he said.

Blair, at the highest level of Government, perhaps could be excused amateur status since by the time of the Iraq crusade, sorry invasion, he had a taste for war. I guess Iraq was one war too far. Oops – no, that was Afghanistan, Iraq was two wars too far.