Iraq: Petraeus report changes nothing, says Campbell

1.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 12th Sep 2007

Sir Menzies Campbell MP

The top US military commander in Iraq, General Petraeus, has come under heavy criticism in Congress as he reports on the progress of the US military surge. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos dismissed Gen Petraeus' assertion that military objectives of the surge were being met. In his testimony before two committees, Petraeus said he thought around 30,000 troops could be withdrawn by the middle of next year. A record 168,000 US troops are now in Iraq after 30,000 arrived in the surge between February and June.

Sir Ming Campbell said "This report changes nothing from the standpoint of the United Kingdom. There is no case for the continuing open-ended commitment of British forces. Nor does General Petraeus provide any help to the British government in answering the two fundamental questions - what military purpose is being achieved and what political objectives are being met by our continued presence in Iraq. I repeat my call for a framework for phased withdrawal of all British forces."