Kennedy rounds on 'occupation' of Iraq

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has described the "occupation" of Iraq as a "continuing nightmare".

Addressing the Lib Dem conference in Blackpool, Mr Kennedy said: "Along with President Bush, Tony Blair’s so-called ‘war on terror’ has been so badly implemented that it has actually boosted the terror threat not diminished it."

Mr Kennedy said invading Iraq was a "terrible mistake" and branded "the failure to plan properly for the aftermath" as "unforgivable".

The Liberal Democrat leader said the UN mandate was running out and that hard choices must be made: "Parliament must play a central part in those choices. The Government must confront the fact that the presence of British and American forces in Iraq is a part of the problem.

"After this week’s events in Basra we cannot sustain the myth that Iraqis see coalition troops as liberators. What they see is an occupation. The Government must wake up and admit its responsibility.

"The Prime Minster’s pride should not get in the way of finding a solution for the people of Iraq. His blind support for George Bush is continuing to cost lives – Iraqi citizens and coalition soldiers.

"It’s time he laid before parliament a proper, structured exit strategy for the phased withdrawal of British forces from Iraq."

Mr Kennedy told the conference that British Forces had served with "distinction, courage and skill," but he said, "what people are asking now is 'when can our troops come home?'"

He accused Mr Blair of being in denial and was scathing of the Prime Minister's attempts to "move on" in the debate over the Iraq war while people were dying every day and British troops were in the firing line.

Turning to proposed anti-terrorism legislation, Mr Kennedy said that he had seen the details of what the Government is proposing and did not accept what was on offer.

He said: "There can be no consensus on detaining people for three months without charge - that’s a prison sentence by any other name." He said that the Lib Dems would oppose any blanket extension of custody powers as such a proposal "undermines our most basic rights and eats into our most cherished freedoms".

"If we undermine the foundations of our legal system then we let the terrorists win," he said.

"Even if we can get our domestic response to terrorism right, we will not succeed unless, and until, we get our foreign policy right," he warned.

(SP)