Brown: Iraq is being rebuilt

Five years after the ousting of Saddam Hussein Iraq is on the road to recovery, Gordon Brown believes.

In the Commons yesterday the prime minister dismissed call from Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg that, with 175 British soldiers killed and £7 billion of taxpayers' money spent, Mr Brown should express regret over the invasion.

"There is a democracy in Iraq as a result of the changes that have been brought about," Mr Brown responded.

"Millions of children are getting the benefit of education, vaccination and health care services as a result. We are rebuilding, with the Iraqis, the economy of Iraq."

Mr Clegg would not want "to go back to a situation where Saddam Hussein was in control of Iraq", he added.