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Iraqi government forces staged a surprise assault in March against the Medhi Army, a militia loyal to cleric Moqtada Sadr, which caught coalition forces off-guard. But while the United States rushed in to help Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the Basra fighting, British forces didn't join in because of its secret deal, The Times of London reported Tuesday.

The episode damaged Britain's reputation and was a blow to morale, sources told the newspaper, saying the deal with Sadr was aimed to encouraging him to enter the mainstream political process and marginalizing extremist factions.

The Times said unnamed senior British defense sources told it Maliki and high-ranking U.S. military officers became disillusioned with the British because of their failure to act, while another source that the deal, negotiated by British intelligence, had been a costly mistake.

Lt. Col. Chuck Western, a senior U.S. Marine advising the Iraqi army, told the Times: "I was not happy. Cutting a deal with the bad guys is generally not a good idea."

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