General 'let wife sit in on classified meetings'

General Tommy Franks, the man who will lead any US military strike against Iraq, is being investigated by the Pentagon for alleged abuses of privileges in relation to his wife.

General Franks, 57, has been questioned by investigators over allegations he allowed his wife, Cathryn, to sit in on highly classified briefings, failed to reimburse the Pentagon for her travel expenses and assigned her a military bodyguard in contravention of guidelines.

The office of the Pentagon's inspector general, Joseph Schmitz, which is carrying out the investigation, refused to comment on the inquiry which began last summer. General Franks said: "I am aware of the investigation and am co-operating with it. It would not be appropriate to comment until it is complete."

It is unclear what implications the inquiry will have on General Franks' position, though the White House is unlikely to want to see him removed from his post with a possible war weeks away. The US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, defended General Franks and said the investigation would in no way affect a possible military operation against Iraq. "I know him to be a man of the highest integrity," he said.

It was reported that the allegations against General Franks were made by a subordinate and that two senior officers refused to follow them up.