Menzies backs demands for Army to leave Iraq

Sir Menzies Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has backed calls from British military commanders that the UK should withdraw all it's forces from Iraq as they can "achieve nothing" by staying.

This will increase pressure on Brown to withdraw the troops as traditional Labour supporters have long opposed this conflict and the calls for withdrawal now include the army's top brass and the Liberal opposition.

"What is being achieved by the continuing British presence in Iraq?" Sir Menzies asked in the letter to the Prime Minister. "There is now a clear recognition that the objectives of their mission cannot be achieved."

Brown has promised Bush that he will wait for Petraeus to report in September, although he has insisted that he will ultimately be guided by advice from British commanders on the ground. However, every indication is that Petraeus will give some overly rosy reading of what is going on over there and will, once again, insist that US tactics will work if only they are given more time.

There is no reason for the British army to stick around simply because the US are insisting on repeating the mistakes of Vietnam and continuing with a conflict long after it's initial aims have become impossible to achieve.

There are some Republicans who - whilst wearing their supposed love of the army on their sleeves - are quite content to watch young US soldiers die for a cause that is already lost, rather than ask Bush to accept that his grand venture has ended in abject failure.

Brown should realise that there is no valid reason to ask another young British soldier to lay down his or her life for such a lost cause.

Stephen Biddle, who also advises General Petraeus, has concluded that the Iranian-backed Shia forces will claim a victory over the British when they leave. "It will be a hard withdrawal. They want the image of a British defeat. It will be ugly and embarrassing," he said.

This is simply another attempt by the Bush camp to put pressure on Brown to continue to provide Bush with the fig leaf that this conflict still enjoys international support.

It doesn't and we should stop pretending that it does. Support for this conflict no longer exists even amongst the majority of Americans.

Brown should bite the bullet and announce the withdrawal. If Bush and a few lunatic Republicans continue to insist - Vietnam style - that victory lies over the next hill, let them fight it alone. For in truth, the only plan Bush now possesses is to pass this whole debacle on to his successor. And a plan that tawdry is not worth a single British life.

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