Defence secretary Des Browne yesterday said he takes ‘full responsibility’ for decisions which allowed the fifteen UK sailors and marines held by the Iranians to sell their stories to the media.
Speaking for the first time since the row erupted at the weekend, Browne revealed that prime minister Blair knew on Sunday of the decisions to allow sales and spoke to Browne on Monday before the decision was taken to ban further sales.
Browne said he had been asked last Friday ‘to note’ the Navy’s decision to allow the freed personnel to sell their stories.
He claimed that he and the Navy, were ‘not content’ with the decision but felt they had little choice, given that the stories had to be told ‘to counteract the propaganda the Iranians had put out using them’.
On Blair’s role, Browne said: ‘I first spoke to the prime minister about this issue on Monday when I was in the process of making the decision I made on Monday which was announced in the statement I made on Monday.
‘So that’s the first contact I had with the prime minister about it. I understand that the prime minister knew about the Navy’s decision some time on Sunday, but I spoke to him on Monday.’
In his interview yesterday Browne said he will be making a statement to the House of Commons when MPs return next Monday.
Browne said allowing sales to the media ‘was a decision taken by the Navy but I am secretary of state for defence and, ultimately, the responsibility for that rests with me.
‘Clearly, over the weekend, I thought about the decision and, over the weekend, I accepted the analysis that was put forward to me by the Navy, but I wasn’t content with it.
‘I don’t think anybody was really content with it, and I include the Navy in that. I think they felt that they had to make this decision but were not content with it.’
He added that on Monday when he had taken further advice from MoD officials and senior Naval officers and ‘had an opportunity myself to consider the regulations, I came to a different view.
‘I then made the announcement I made on Monday (to ban further sales), so clearly with hindsight I could have made a different decision.’
Former defence secretary Michael Portillo said that it was ‘odd that heads haven’t rolled’ over it.
Tory leader Cameron said it had been ‘a calamitous decision’.