Troops making problems in Iraq worse says head of British army

LONDON - The head of Britain's army said the presence of British troops in Iraq was exacerbating the security situation on the ground and they should be withdrawn soon.

In an interview with Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, to be published on Friday, General Sir Richard Dannatt also said Britain's involvement in Iraq was aggravating security problems elsewhere in the world.

In comments which are unusually blunt for a serving senior officer, he told the newspaper troops should "get ... out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems".

Britain, Washington's main ally in Iraq, has around 7,000 troops deployed, mainly in the south of the country.

Dannatt said: "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.

"The military campaign we fought in 2003 effectively kicked the door in. Whatever consent we may have had in the first place, may have turned to tolerance and has largely turned to intolerance. That is a fact. I don't say that the difficulties we are experiencing round the world are caused by our presence in Iraq but undoubtedly our presence in Iraq exacerbates them."

The US-led invasion to oust former president Saddam Hussein has come under heavy criticism, as the civilian death-toll mounts and British and US troops are increasingly in the firing line.

Putting himself directly at odds with Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush, the general criticised the post-invasion planning by the US-led coalition.

"I think history will show that the planning for what happened after the initial successful war fighting phase was poor, probably based more on optimism than sound planning."

"The original intention was that we put in place a liberal democracy that was an exemplar for the region, was pro-West and might have a beneficial effect on the balance within the Middle East. That was the hope, whether that was a sensible or naive hope history will judge. I don't think we are going to do that. I think we should aim for a lower ambition."

The Ministry of Defence declined to comment immediately on the comments. A spokesman at Blair's office was not immediately available to comment.

- REUTERS