British military chiefs are being ejected from US meetings about Syria as they are seen as unreliable following David Camerons refusal to join military action.
Military sources have claimed that the role of senior British officers at the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida, has been downgraded because their American counterparts believe that they cannot be trusted with high-level intelligence about a conflict with which they are not involved.
Roughly 30 British personnel have been working alongside the Americans and French and have been involved war planning for a number of weeks, including fine-tuning a list of targets and orchestrating military assets.
But after Mr Cameron ruled out an attack following a Commons defeat on Syrian action last Thursday the officers have been told that they can no longer participate in classified plans, the Times reported.
No British officers are now engaged in military planning and none will be involved in the execution of the operation, a British defence official confirmed.
This is because Britain is now non-reliable as far as this operation is concerned, one former officer claimed.
The news will be a blow to the pride of the Armed Forces, whose role alongside American troops has been usurped by the French, who John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, praised as Americas oldest ally last week.
Colonel Bob Stewart, a Tory MP and former UN commander in Bosnia, said that the news was a blow as we gain so much from our relationship with the US.
Others have noted that this is the first direct consequence of Mr Camerons Commons defeat last week.
Kevan Jones, the Shadow Armed Forces minister, described the news as the first practical example of the strain which Camerons mishandling of the Syrian policy" is having on what has for years been known as the "special relationship". He added that the news will be "very uncomfortable for many in the senior military.
A YouGov poll for the Times has found that half of voters would approve of a second Commons debate on Syria if the UN confirms that chemical weapons were used by the Assad regime against his own people.
The 30 officers will continue to be embedded at the US Tampa military headquarters, officials have confirmed, but they will now work on other areas of planning.
Central Command, headed by General Lloyd Austin, who was commander of US forces in Iraq until the end of 2011, has security responsibilities related to 16 countries, including Afghanistan and Iran.
Pentagon sources have played down the snub, claiming that it would be normal for any country which is no longer involved in an operation to stop being included in the planning process.
I wouldnt read much into this, a senior source said.
The former officer, who has served alongside US forces, said that the exclusion of British officers was to be expected as it will be feared British officers could speak to their chain or command, who could in speak to politicians, about the information discussed.
For all the Americans know, it is going to become a leak. We have become non-reliable allies in terms of this operation, he said,
Poster Comment:
The Brits aren't crazy enough for the D&R Global Terrorism Brotherhood.