Labour paralysed over Iraq policy

11.17.05pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 19th Apr 2007

The government is gripped by "political paralysis" over Iraq, according to Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell. Speaking on the Today programme, Menzies said "I can't remember the last time I heard a senior... minister on your programme defending the policy in Iraq." He went on to point out that senior figures like Cabinet minister Hilary Benn had distanced themselves from the phrase 'war on terror'.

Comments by former minister Helen Liddell that Iraq had never been part of the 'war on terror' appeared to undermine the whole philosophy the prime minister has used. Sir Menzies repeated calls for British troops to be withdrawn from Iraq, saying: "I accepted a moral obligation, but that moral obligation cannot be open-ended and we have a moral obligation to our own young men and women."

He added: "It is four years since the military action ceased and in that time we have committed a lot of money, we have committed a lot of fine young men and women and lost more than 140 of them. There is a point at which we can no longer justify that degree of commitment."

The daily death total in Iraq is steadily increasing towards 200 dead per day, despite the USA sending more troops.