Tony Blair was warned of 'long-term damage' to the Armed Forces unless Britain slashed its commitment to the Iraq war, a secret document has revealed.
On the eve of the 2003 invasion, foreign secretary Jack Straw and defence secretary Geoff Hoon told Mr Blair the UK had to cut force numbers by two-thirds by that autumn.
An extract from a previously classified letter from the Cabinet ministers to Mr Blair, dated March 19, 2003, was released yesterday by the Iraq Inquiry.
It said: 'It will be necessary to draw down our current commitment to nearer a third by no later than autumn in order to avoid long-term damage to the Armed Forces.
'If ministers wanted us to, we would need decisions now so that we would be able to recommend what would have to give elsewhere.'
It added: 'Our view is that we should probably agree now to tell the U.S., for planning purposes, that this is the upper limit of our contribution.'
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