Britain's army chief urges Iraq pullout
By Ian McPhedran
October 14, 2006 12:00am
THE American-led coalition in Iraq has received a major setback, with Britain's army chief saying his troops should be out of Iraq "some time soon".
General Sir Richard Dannatt said the presence of British troops in Iraq had exacerbated global security problems.
His pro-withdrawal position flies in the face of the policies adopted by key coalition countries, including Australia and the United States, and is a direct attack on British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"I don't say the difficulties we are experiencing around the world are caused by our presence in Iraq, but undoubtedly our presence in Iraq exacerbates them," General Dannatt told the Daily Mail newspaper.
He said Britain should "get ourselves out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems".
"We are in a Muslim country and Muslims' views of foreigners in their country are quite clear . . . As a foreigner, you can be welcomed by being invited in a country, but we weren't invited certainly by those in Iraq at the time," General Dannatt said.
He said the military campaign fought in 2003 effectively kicked Iraq's door in. "Whatever consent we may have had in the first place . . . has largely turned to intolerance," he said.
Prime Minister John Howard rejected General Dannatt's comments, but said he would be surprised if Australia was still in Iraq in 2010, the date cited by US military commanders.
"We will go when we believe we have finished our job," Mr Howard said.
"I remain very strongly of the view that if we were to go before the job was finished, why shouldn't the Americans and the British do the same?"
The general's comments also fly in the face of Mr Blair's fierce defence late last month of Britain's roles both in Iraq and Afghanistan.
General Dannatt said that though the original intention of invading Iraq was to put a pro-Western liberal democracy in place that "might have a beneficial effect on the balance within the Middle East", he did not believe that would happen.
Britain has 7200 troops in southern Iraq and 119 have been killed in action since the coalition invasion in March 2003.
Australia has about 700 soldiers in the country and just one, Pte Jake Kovco, has been killed.
The US has more than 140,000 soldiers in Iraq and more than 2700 have been killed since the invasion.
The Government has provided details to Labor about the training provided by Australia to Iraqi security forces.
Army chief on Iraq Listen
LinkHere
Blair gives backing to Army chief
October 14, 2006 12:00am
THE American-led coalition in Iraq has received a major setback, with Britain's army chief saying his troops should be out of Iraq "some time soon".
General Sir Richard Dannatt said the presence of British troops in Iraq had exacerbated global security problems.
His pro-withdrawal position flies in the face of the policies adopted by key coalition countries, including Australia and the United States, and is a direct attack on British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"I don't say the difficulties we are experiencing around the world are caused by our presence in Iraq, but undoubtedly our presence in Iraq exacerbates them," General Dannatt told the Daily Mail newspaper.
He said Britain should "get ourselves out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems".
"We are in a Muslim country and Muslims' views of foreigners in their country are quite clear . . . As a foreigner, you can be welcomed by being invited in a country, but we weren't invited certainly by those in Iraq at the time," General Dannatt said.
He said the military campaign fought in 2003 effectively kicked Iraq's door in. "Whatever consent we may have had in the first place . . . has largely turned to intolerance," he said.
Prime Minister John Howard rejected General Dannatt's comments, but said he would be surprised if Australia was still in Iraq in 2010, the date cited by US military commanders.
"We will go when we believe we have finished our job," Mr Howard said.
"I remain very strongly of the view that if we were to go before the job was finished, why shouldn't the Americans and the British do the same?"
The general's comments also fly in the face of Mr Blair's fierce defence late last month of Britain's roles both in Iraq and Afghanistan.
General Dannatt said that though the original intention of invading Iraq was to put a pro-Western liberal democracy in place that "might have a beneficial effect on the balance within the Middle East", he did not believe that would happen.
Britain has 7200 troops in southern Iraq and 119 have been killed in action since the coalition invasion in March 2003.
Australia has about 700 soldiers in the country and just one, Pte Jake Kovco, has been killed.
The US has more than 140,000 soldiers in Iraq and more than 2700 have been killed since the invasion.
The Government has provided details to Labor about the training provided by Australia to Iraqi security forces.
Army chief on Iraq Listen
LinkHere
Blair gives backing to Army chief
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 5:24 AM
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