An interesting article in today's Guardian newspaper, which can be found on the Guardian Unlimited website:
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/...
(not sure if I got that right).
Anyway, the British Secretary of Defence at the time of the Iraq invasion, Geoff Hoon, has admitted "fatal errors in the planning for post-war Iraq", with British ministers unable to influence the White House.
In particular, Britain disagreed with the US administration over two key decisions in May 2003, two months after the invasion - to disband Iraq's army and "de-Ba'athify" its civil service. Mr Hoon also said he and other senior ministers completely underestimated the role and influence of the vice-president, Dick Cheney.
The article continues:
"Sometimes ... Tony had made his point with the president, and I'd made my point with Don [Rumsfeld] and Jack [Straw] had made his point with Colin [Powell] and the decision actually came out of a completely different place. And you think: what did we miss? I think we missed Cheney."
Readers may be interested in accessing the full article, for a view of post-war Iraq, WMDs etc.
It is more explicit, Hoon being very much an ex-minister, than you will get from Blair and others still in the government.