General Richard Dannatt: Let's withdraw troops sometime soon

The head of the army called today for British troops to be withdrawn from Iraq "sometime soon".

General Richard Dannatt told the Daily Mail that remaining "exacerbates the security problems" there and around the world.

He said: "The military campaign we fought in 2003 effectively kicked the door in. Whatever consent we may have had in the first place, may have turned to tolerance and has largely turned to intolerance."

He added: "I don't say that the difficulties we are experiencing round the world are caused by our presence in Iraq but undoubtedly our presence in Iraq exacerbates them."

Sir Richard, appointed chief of the general staff six weeks ago, also questioned the prime minister's "hopes" to bring liberal democracy to Iraq.

"That was the hope, whether that was a sensible or naïve hope history will judge. I don't think we are going to do that. I think we should aim for a lower ambition," he said.