A second senior British general has criticised American plans for the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion, saying that he warned Washington’s policy was “fatally flawed”.

Major General Tim Cross, the most senior UK officer involved in the post-war planning, also insisted he had raised serious concerns about the possibility of the country sliding into chaos with Donald Rumsfeld - but the then-US defence secretary “dismissed” the warnings.

General Cross’s comments emerged after the former head of the Army, General Sir Mike Jackson, branded the American approach “intellectually bankrupt”.

Sir Mike, who was in charge at the time of the 2003 invasion, also singled out Mr Rumsfeld for criticism, saying his claim that US forces “don’t do nation-building” was “nonsensical”

General Cross, in an interview with the Sunday Mirror, said: “Right from the very beginning we were all very concerned about the lack of detail that had gone into the post-war plan and there is no doubt that Rumsfeld was at the heart of that process.

“I had lunch with Rumsfeld in February in Washington - before the invasion in March 2003 - and raised concerns about the need to internationalise the reconstruction of Iraq and work closely with the United Nations.”

The criticism strengthens the case for a full-scale inquiry into the war and its aftermath, shadow foreign secretary William Hague said today as he called for a report to parliament when it returns in October and said many of the judgments the Americans had made were wrong.

General Cross, 59, who was deputy head of the coalition’s Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance in 2003, added: “Amongst others in the US, I also raised concerns over the numbers of troops on the ground available to maintain security and aid reconstruction in Iraq.

“He didn’t want to hear that message. The US had already convinced themselves that, following the invasion, Iraq would emerge reasonably quickly as a stable democracy.

“Myself and others were suggesting that things simply would not be as easy as that - they didn’t want to hear that.

“Rumsfeld didn’t feel that working with the international community to rebuild Iraq was going to be necessary and he ignored my comment. He dismissed it.

“I fully briefed Gen Jackson on my return to the UK and he absolutely shared my concerns. There were also other people within the American military system and State Department who also shared our concerns.

Times Recommends

• No apology for Germany’s own Nazi victims
• Intricate web of fear and hope tying down deal
• Victims remembered a year after Mumbai attacks