Complex sentence: He took up the post a month before the start of the Iraq War, amid disputes over the legality of the invasion and claims that the army was under-equipped; he dismissed claims that the army was at "breaking point".
Split into simpler sentences: He took up the post a month before the start of the Iraq War, amid disputes over the legality of the invasion and claims that the army was under-equipped. However, he dismissed suggestions that the army was at "breaking point".