THE US military commander during the invasion of Iraq, General Tommy Franks, and Riley Bechtel, the head of the US construction company Bechtel Corp, have been given honours by Tony Blair, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has revealed.

A list of foreign recipients of honours since 2003 was released by Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, in response to a written question from Norman Baker, the Lib Dem MP. She denied that the Government had attempted to keep the list secret but said that awards to foreign citizens were not formally announced.

Mr Bechtel’s company has won contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq. He was appointed an honorary CBE in 2003. Other awards went to Vice-Admiral Timothy Keating, who headed maritime forces in Iraq, Rear-Admiral Barry Costello, Commander of the Third Fleet, and General T. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force.

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