British prime minister David Cameron has urged George Galloway not “to play to the gallery” over the Afghan war.
Mr Galloway, elected Respect MP for Bradford West last month, returned to the Commons this week after a two-year absence.
Called to ask yesterday’s final question at the prime minister’s weekly Westminster grilling, Mr Galloway said: “As I was saying, Mr Speaker, there is an iron-clad consensus across the front benches about what they now call a ‘mission’ but, given the amount of blood on the ground and rapidly deteriorating military situation, most of us call a ‘war’ in Afghanistan.”
Mr Galloway branded the fighting “a bloody maw” and asked Mr Cameron to reconsider Britain’s position of withdrawing troops by the end of 2014.
Mr Cameron said: “I profoundly disagree with you. Our troops are in Afghanistan not fighting a war against Islam but at the invitation of an Islamic government and under a United Nations resolution to try and help that country have a peaceful, prosperous and stable future.” – (PA)