BRITAIN: British prime minister Tony Blair has again vowed that his government will not "desert" democrats in Iraq as Conservative leader David Cameron continues his attempt to reposition his party on post-war "strategy".
The Tory leader's latest manoeuvres in the Commons yesterday brought a sharp rebuke from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, who suggested complaints about Iraqi strategy "would be more appropriate" from a party which had opposed the war in the first place.
As Sir Menzies claimed Mr Blair's strategy had clearly failed, Labour deputy leadership contender Jon Cruddas launched his campaign with a warning that Mr Blair's foreign policy was reinforcing "insecurity, fear and isolation" at home.
Mr Cruddas also took a swipe at ministers he accused of playing "fast and loose" with religious tensions in Britain as education secretary Alan Johnson insisted that faith schools must do more to defuse community tensions.
Signalling that the war and debate about its impact on support for Islamic terrorism continues to overshadow British politics, Mr Cameron sought to exploit Mr Blair's embarrassment over last week's criticisms by chief of the general staff Gen Sir Richard Dannatt.
Having previously insisted British troops should remain to secure a liberal democracy in Iraq, Mr Cameron wanted to know if Mr Blair now shared the general's view that they should aim "lower" and withdraw "sometime soon"?
And did Mr Blair now agree with the general that the continued British presence there in some places served only to exacerbate violence?
Sir Menzies said it was clear the government's strategy had failed and that the choice was now stark: "Change the strategy or get out."
However, Mr Blair was adamant that while it was right to discuss the strategy, it would not change.
"To withdraw prematurely before the job is done would be disastrous," he told the opposition leaders.
Again insisting there was no difference between himself and the head of the army, Mr Blair said the government's policy was "to withdraw progressively" as the Iraqi defence forces developed their own capability.
But faced with UN estimates that as many as 3,000 Iraqis are being killed every month, Mr Blair countered, "they are not being killed by British soldiers" but "by terrorists and those outside seeking to support them in defiance of a UN resolution".
And the prime minister repeated the message of his Tuesday press conference, arguing that to "desert the Iraqi government at this time" would not only be "a gross dereliction of our duty to them" but would dismay Britain's allies while giving "heart" to extremists at home and around the world.
Mr Blair also carried the challenge back to Mr Cameron, saying it had been right that there was a "bipartisan" approach to the war, which he hoped would continue.
Mr Cameron angrily retorted that Conservative support for the work undertaken by British troops was not in doubt, while pressing Mr Blair for assurance that he would provide "frank, candid and honest answers" to questions.
Launching his bid to succeed John Prescott as Labour's deputy leader, Mr Cruddas was telling constituents last night that national politics needed to be reconnected to local communities, not least "because these insecurities and vulnerabilities lead to a rise in political extremism as hostilities and suspicions between communities grow". He was also warning that "the solution does not lie in an ever more muscular bidding war amongst politicians to demonstrate who can be tougher on migrants."