UK out of Iraq now

A lot of folk have called for the UK to get out of Iraq, but when the head of the British Army, General Dannatt, says it – it seems the reality of how bad Iraq has become is finally hitting home at the highest levels. Dannatt’s statements are on the heels of a report in the Lancet that Iraqi deaths could be as high as 655 000, and follow an American joint intelligence committee report saying Iraq is now causing more terrorism. With blow after blow to the credibility of this war, it is exceptionally difficult to see how long this farce can go on before the whole stinking heap collapses.

General seeks UK Iraq withdrawal
The head of the British Army has said the presence of UK armed forces in Iraq "exacerbates the security problems".
In an interview in the Daily Mail, Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, is quoted as saying the British should "get out some time soon".

He also said: "Let's face it, the military campaign we fought in 2003, effectively kicked the door in."

There are currently more than 7,000 British soldiers in Iraq, based largely in Basra in the south of the country.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson described Sir Richard's remarks as "quite extraordinary".

He said the new head of British army was "effectively saying we are making the situation worse in Iraq and worse for ourselves around the world by being in Iraq".

The comments "directly contradicted so much of what the government had said", our correspondent added.

Sir Richard might be issuing a "very public warning" to the next prime minister, he said.

In the interview, Sir Richard added that any initial tolerance "has largely turned to intolerance. That is a fact."

Sir Richard, who took on his role in August, also said planning for what happened after the initial successful war military offensive was "poor, probably based more on optimism than sound planning".