Complexities of war the minister chose to ignore

Geoff Hoon has been at the forefront of attempts to reassure the public that military action is on track, despite a series of "friendly fire" deaths and pockets of fierce resistance.

But some of the Defence Secretary's pronouncements in the Commons, at Ministry of Defence briefings and in media interviews have represented a triumph of hope over reality.

PRISONERS OF WAR

On Monday, Mr Hoon told MPs, 8,000 Iraqi prisoners of war had been captured by coalition forces. Yesterday, he increased that figure to 9,000.

Within hours, however, the Ministry of Defence had corrected the total to 5,323, blaming the mistake on "confusion in transferring information from theatre to here".

REPORTS FROM THE FRONT

Mr Hoon contrasted the conditions faced by reporters based in Baghdad with those travelling with coalition troops. He said journalists on the front- line were "able to send their material back uncensored to our homes".

The situation is more subtle. War reporters are banned from revealing details of their location or of military planning.

TV STATION BOMBING

On 26 March, Mr Hoon told the BBC that "no direct attempt" had been made to take Iraqi television off the air.

Hours earlier, the United States had announced that coalition missiles had blitzed Iraq's main television station, as well as telecoms targets.

SURRENDERING TROOPS

On 22 March, Mr Hoon hailed reports that Iraq's 51st Division, which was guarding Basra, had thrown in the towel. He said: "The Iraqi 51st Division has stopped fighting overnight."

Four days later, more than 1,000 soldiers from the same units were spotted returning to the city to hide among its civilian population.

CHEMICAL WEAPONS

Mr Hoon said on 27 March that the discovery of more than 100 biochemical protection suits in the Rumaila oilfield showed categorically that "the Iraqi regime is prepared to use weapons of mass destruction".

Yesterday, he said: "As far as weapons of mass destruction, we have not made significant findings as yet."

BASRA UPRISING

On 26 March, Mr Hoon said: "Certainly, there have been disturbances with local people rising up against the regime."

Within hours, al-Jazeera television reported that Basra was quiet, and it emerged later that the "uprising" was a small protest against the regime.

SITUATION IN THE SOUTH

Mr Hoon told the Commons on 26 March: "The regime has effectively lost control of southern Iraq. The regime must know its days are numbered."

Colonel Chris Vernon, a British military spokesman, later admitted: "Basra is no-where near yet in our hands."