The outgoing chief of the British army says the U.K. made mistakes in the days after the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt says Britain didn't maintain enough soldiers in southern Iraq toward the end of the military campaign in part because the focus was turning to Afghanistan.
In a speech at the Royal United Services Institute Tuesday, Dannatt said British, coalition, and Iraqi forces missed "a window of consent" early in the campaign to address Iraq's security and basic needs, and doing so allowed the rise of militia groups.
A British inquiry is to begin work next month to examine mistakes made before, during and after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
Dannatt, who is retiring, is due to step down at the end of August.
