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U.K. military brass for Iraq pullout

Richard Norton-Taylor

London: Senior British military officers have been pressing the U.K. Government to withdraw British troops from Iraq and concentrate on what they now regard as a more worthwhile and winnable battleground in Afghanistan.

They believe there is a limit to what British soldiers can achieve in southern Iraq and that it is time the Iraqis took responsibility for their own security, defence sources say. Pressure from military chiefs for an early and significant cut in the 7,500 British troops in Iraq is also motivated by extreme pressure being placed on soldiers and those responsible for training them.

``What is more important, Afghanistan or Iraq?'' a senior defence source asked. ``There is a group within the Ministry of Defence pushing hard to get troops out of Iraq to get more into Afghanistan.''

Military chiefs have been losing patience with the slow progress made in building a new Iraqi national army and security services. Significantly, they now say the level of violence in the country will not be a factor determining when British troops should leave. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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