War on terror a disaster, says think tank report urging policy changes

THE so-called war on terror has been a "disaster" and British military policy in Iraq and Afghanistan must be fundamentally changed if al-Qaeda is to be defeated, a report released today states.

The report, by the Oxford Research Group think tank, calls for major changes in foreign policy and warns of the dangers of military action against Iran.

Iraq has become a training ground for violent jihadists and British and US forces should withdraw from the country immediately, it adds.

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, will update MPs in the Commons this afternoon following his recent visit to Iraq, when he announced that 1,000 British troops could be back in the UK by Christmas. The latest report claims the current fight against international terrorism has failed and has instead played into the hands of al-Qaeda.

The dismantling of the Taleban regime in Afghanistan in 2001-2 was of "direct value" to al-Qaeda and the extraordinary rendition and detention of terrorist suspects a "constant source of propaganda".

The report, Towards Sustainable Security - Alternatives to the War on Terror, calls for a complete withdrawal from Iraq, a scaling-down of military operations in Afghanistan, and the ending of extraordinary rendition and detention without trial.

The report's author, Paul Rogers, said: "Every aspect of the war on terror has been counterproductive in Iraq and Afghanistan, from the loss of civilian life through to mass detentions without trial. In short, it has been a disaster. Western countries simply have to face up to the dangerous mistakes of the past six years and recognise the need for new policies."

He warned: "Going to war with Iran will make matters far worse, playing directly into the hands of extreme elements and adding greatly to the violence across the region. Whatever the problems with Iran, war should be avoided at all costs - the mistakes already made will be completely overshadowed by the consequences of a war with Iran."

The Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, Michael Moore, said: "This hard-hitting report is a timely reminder of the flawed strategy of treating Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran as three fronts of the so-called war on terror.

"The concept of the war on terror is now wholly discredited. It would be folly to continue trying to tackle violent extremism in the same manner. The government must pay heed and withdraw our troops from Iraq and reconsider our strategy for Afghanistan. Above all else it must make it clear that military action against Iran is a non-starter."

However, Jim Devine, the Labour MP for Livingston and a long-standing opponent of the war in Iraq, said he believed a distinction should be made between that conflict and the war in Afghanistan.

"My views would be different with reference to Afghanistan because the return of the Taleban would set the country back by 100 years, particularly in respect of the education and rights of women.

"But I would agree that the war in Iraq has been a disaster and I have been opposed to it from the start. There was no serious thinking about how to handle the aftermath of the war and how to manage the consequences of Saddam's downfall."

Lindsey German, the national convener for the Stop the War Coalition said: "I am not surprised that this report says the war has been a disaster. This is the view of nearly everybody who looks into this seriously. The latest statistics say there are four million refugees and more than a million civilian dead in Iraq.

"The only people who don't seem to realise this war has been a disaster are the British and US governments. If you look at the opinion polls most people are strongly opposed to continuation of the war. Most recent opinion polls suggest they want the war to end within a year.

"We believe the British government should act to withdraw troops by Christmas and we hope that is what Gordon Brown will announce tomorrow."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We haven't seen this report and so we are not in a position to comment on it."

BAN BID 'BOOSTS PROTEST DEMO'

ATTEMPTS to ban an anti-war march have swelled numbers expected to join it, the organisers have claimed.

The Stop The War Coalition said it will go ahead today with a rally in London's Trafalgar Square, and a march to parliament, to call on the government to withdraw British troops from Iraq.

Celebrities, peace campaigners and MPs will take part in the march, including Tony Benn, musician Brian Eno and comedian Mark Thomas.

Police have told the group it may not march along Whitehall because of an old law protecting the right of MPs and Lords to get to Westminster.

Lindsey German, the group's convener, said thousands were now expected to join the protest, with many more people than expected planning to travel in to London.