UK and US must quit Iraq quickly, says former UK ambassador to DC

[babylonsister]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2096469,00.html

UK and US must quit Iraq quickly, says former ambassador

Tania Branigan and Rosie Lavan
Wednesday June 6, 2007
The Guardian

The British and American military presence in Iraq is worsening security across the region and should be withdrawn quickly, the UK's former ambassador to Washington warned yesterday.

Sir Christopher Meyer acknowledged that leaving Iraq would be "painful", but said the mission was not worth the death of one more serviceman. "I personally believe that the presence of American and British and coalition forces is making things worse, not only inside Iraq but the wider region around Iraq. The arguments against staying for any greater length of time themselves strengthen with every day that passes," Sir Christopher said.

He added: "I think the Iraqis are in fact sorting themselves out - often bloodily - independent of what we're doing."

The former diplomat, posted in Washington in the runup to the 2003 invasion, was giving evidence to the Iraq Commission in London. The cross-party group - modelled on America's Iraq Study Group - was set up by the Foreign Policy Centre thinktank and Channel 4 to examine possible options for Britain's future role.

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[Grandrose]

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