Iraq war 'fuelled terrorism'
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-05 13:45

Britain's involvement in the Iraq war has "partly radicalised and fuelled" the rise of home-grown terrorism, London's former ambassador to Washington, Sir Christopher Meyer, says.

Iraqi children play on swings in Baghdad. Britain's involvement in the Iraq war has 'partly radicalised and fuelled' the rise of home-grown terrorism, London's former ambassador to Washington, Sir Christopher Meyer, says. [AFP]

Prime Minister Tony Blair has repeatedly denied that the US and British invasion of Iraq in March 2003 has led to an increase in Islamic extremism and that it played a part in the July 7 attacks in London which left 56 dead.

But in an interview with the Guardian newspaper, Meyer said: "There is plenty of evidence around at the moment that home-grown terrorism was partly radicalised and fuelled by what is going on in Iraq."

"There is no way we can credibly get up and say it has nothing to do with it. Don't tell me that being in Iraq has got nothing to do with it. Of course it does," said the veteran diplomat, who was ambassador in Washington in the run-up to the war.

"The issue is it is part of the price we have to pay and should be paying for the removal of Saddam Hussein and at the moment the jury is still out."

Meyer -- a key aide to Blair in crucial talks between London and Washington in the months and weeks leading up to military action -- said the continued US-British presence in the Gulf was aiding Iraqi insurgents.

But he said he opposes an early pull-out of US and British troops even though the tide of violence in Iraq has left both countries "on the horns of an absolutely impossible dilemma".

"DC Confidential," Meyer's memoirs of the decision-making that led to the Iraq war, is to be serialised in the Guardian and the Daily Mail newspapers from Monday.