Miliband on Iraq: Britain's reputation intact

Tuesday, 09 March 2010

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is telling a top-level inquiry that Britain's influence in the Middle East has not been diminished by the problems following the 2003 Iraq invasion.

Miliband told the Iraq Inquiry on Monday that it would be wrong for Britain to scale back its international engagement because of the difficulties in Iraq and that many Iraqis were glad to be rid of Saddam Hussein.

Miliband was not foreign secretary when the decision to invade was made. He says he supported the decision to go to war because Saddam was flouting U.N. resolutions.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown ordered the inquiry to study errors made in the invasion and its aftermath. The panel will offer recommendations, but won't apportion blame or liability.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

Editor: Labour have scored particularly well in the last thirteen years, having two of the worst Foreign Secretaries in history (Margaret Beckett).