LONDON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Washington did not take the post-conflict reconstruction of Iraq very seriously during its plans for invasion, a London inquiry into the war heard.
Earlier this year, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown ordered an inquiry into the British involvement in the U.S. plans to invade Iraq and its subsequent involvement in the war.
The inquiry, which kicked off last week, is examining currently the planning stage and the diplomatic maneuvering that preceded the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
Peter Ricketts, who served as the political director of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 2001 to 2003, told the inquiry that British officials were shocked by the degree to which Washington neglected the post-conflict phase, London's Guardian newspaper reports.
Lawmakers had warned that a failure to draft plans to protect Iraqi civilians during the occupation was a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
Edward Chaplin, who served as the top Middle East expert in the British government at the time, said there was "a touching belief" among U.S. officials that the post-conflict phase "was all going to be sweetness and light."
Ricketts added there were "very serious doubts" about the legal basis for military action in Iraq.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is under fire for his close ties to Washington war planners, is scheduled to testify in January.
