Top aide brands Bush a liar over Iraqi army's fate

The accusation came from Paul Bremer who was Mr Bush's senior envoy charged with overseeing Iraq's reconstruction after the invasion.

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The decision to disband the army after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein was widely seen as one of America's biggest mistakes in post-war policy.

It stoked rebellion among hundreds of thousands of former Iraqi soldiers who found themselves jobless. It also fuelled sectarian violence and left coalition forces completely responsible for security.

A book published yesterday contained a claim by Mr Bush that he had intended "to keep the army intact" but that it "didn't happen".

Fingers of blame have been pointed at Mr Bremer. He hit back angrily by insisting that Mr Bush was told in advance of the plan to dismantle the Iraqi military in the chaotic aftermath of the invasion.

In revealing a letter he sent to the White House in May 2003, mentioning the plan to "dissolve Saddam's military and intelligence structures", Mr Bremer said he wanted to refute the suggestion in the book Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush that he had acted against the President's wishes.

In an interview with author Robert Draper, Mr Bush sounded as if he was taken unawares by the decision to abolish the army and couldn't explain how it came about.

He said his policy was initially for the Iraqi security forces to be retained and couldn't remember why that didn't happen.

"Yeah, I can't remember," he is quoted as saying. "I'm sure I said, 'This is the policy, what happened?'."

Mr Bremer indicated he had been fuming for months over attempts by senior Bush officials to distance themselves from the order.

He said he had discussed the proposal several times with former defence chief Donald Rumsfeld.

He had also consulted with Rumsfeld's then deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, as well as the head of U.S forces in Iraq and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He also said he discussed it with senior British military officials. "This didn't just pop out of my head," he told the New York Times.

Mention of the army disbandment comes in the middle of the three-page letter sent to the White House on May 20, 2003, by Mr Bremer.

He goes on to detail the "almost universal expression of thanks" from the Iraqi people to the President for freeing them from Saddam's tyranny.

Mr Bush wrote back the next day, saying: "Your leadership is apparent. You have quickly made a positive and significant impact. You have my full support and confidence."

Later that same day, Mr Bremer issued the order to do Washington analysts said last night that the row again highlights the President's apparent lack of attention to detail.

It also shows how crucial tactical errors were made as the Bush administration wallowed in glory after taking power in Iraq.

Colin Powell, who was U.S. Secretary of State at the time, and General Peter Pace, who was vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both claimed subsequently they didn't know about the army disbandment until after it happened.

But Mr Bremer was unapologetic yesterday and angry about being cast as a renegade.

"I might add that it was not a controversial decision," he added. "The Iraqi army had disappeared and the only question was whether you were going to recall the army.

"The army had been the main instrument of repression under Saddam Hussein. I would go on to argue that it was the right decision. I'm not second-guessing it."

The White House had no official comment last night.

The rift dominated debate in Washington as representatives from warring Iraqi Sunni and Shiite groups agreed on a "road map" to peace during secret talks in Finland.

The four-day summit which ended yesterday was called to try to learn from past sectarian conflicts in Northern Ireland and South Africa.

Both sides were returning to Iraq for further talks on recommendations, including setting up an independent commission to disarm feuding factions.