Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Iraq - reports paint grim picture

A day after a report from a government ‘think tank’ blamed the invasion of Iraq for increased terrorism, another report has been released painting a grim picture. Yesterday’s report [PDF] from Chatham House said, “the UK government has been conducting counter-terrorism policy 'shoulder to shoulder' with the US, not in the sense of being an equal decision-maker, but rather as a pillion passenger compelled to leave the steering to the ally in the driving seat". This policy along with the war in Iraq, had, in the view of the report, given “a boost to the al-Qaeda network's propaganda, recruitment and fundraising".
Tuesday’s report from Iraq Body Count and Oxford Research Group said that over 25,000 civilians had died in Iraq since March 2003. "The ever-mounting Iraqi death toll is the forgotten cost of the decision to go to war in Iraq," said John Sloboda, one of the report authors. [BBC]
[15:40 GMT 19/07/2005]

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