Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell has called on Labour and the Conservatives to focus on the real issue facing our troops in Iraq, the timing of their withdrawal, not the timing of political announcements.

He said:

“It’s time both the Labour and Conservative parties stopped playing cynical political games over Iraq and took responsibility for their disastrous military action there.

“It certainly hasn’t taken long for a Prime Minister billed as a statesman to show himself as just another short term political tactician once a general election is in the offing.

“We mustn’t allow shallow posturing to obscure the real issue: what possible purpose is served by British troops remaining in Iraq?

“If their continued presence is merely to provide political cover for the United States then the Government must come clean.”

Sign Ming’s petition to pull British troops out of Iraq here.

Responding to reports, accompanying Gordon Brown’s visit to Iraq today, that 2,000 troops could be brought home by the spring, Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell said:

“While we welcome any reduction in the number of British troops in Iraq, there is now an urgent need to get all the 5,000 remaining troops home.

“The overriding question is whether there is any military or political benefit to be gained from the continued presence of our armed forces in Iraq. The answer is clearly no.

“The Government should draw up a timetable to get all our soldiers safely home within six months.”

Sign Ming’s petition to pull British troops out of Iraq here.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell has demanded an explanation from the Government after it controversially transferred 350 troops to Basra, near the Iraq-Iran border. The Independent reports that the deployment was at the request of the Americans, and quotes Ming:

“This is yet more evidence of the lack of a coherent strategy for the deployment of British troops in Iraq. It would be disastrous if we were drawn into some kind of proxy war with Iran.

“It would serve neither regional nor international interests and would put British lives at further risk,” he added. “We have consistently called for the early withdrawal of British forces from Iraq as their presence is not helping establish the lasting peace the country so desperately needs.”

Read the full story here.

Sign Ming’s petition to withdraw our troops from Iraq »

Ming Campbell has today called for British troops to leave Iraq. You can back Ming’s call by signing his petition.

“It is time to recognise that British troops can do no more in Iraq.

“Their professionalism and dedication has been outstanding and their courage has been beyond belief.

“The Government is failing to answer the fundamental question about the military purpose they are serving and the political objective they are achieving by their continued presence.

“The level of casualties is unacceptable. We have a moral obligation to the young men and women of our armed forces.

“We should now set a framework for their withdrawal from Iraq.”

You can see Ming talking in more detail about why British forces should leave Iraq in this video.

Sign the online petition here.

Commenting on General Petraeus’s testimony to Congress, Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell said:

“This report changes nothing from the standpoint of the United Kingdom.

“There is no case for the continuing open-ended commitment of British forces.

“Nor does General Petraeus provide any help to the British Government in answering the two fundamental questions – what military purpose is being achieved and what political objectives are being met by our continued presence in Iraq.

“I repeat my call for a framework for phased withdrawal of all British forces.”