Last week, Ming Campbell wrote to the Prime Minister calling for an urgent review of the Government’s military strategies. He wrote:

Dear Prime Minister,

It is now urgently necessary for a reappraisal of government strategy in relation to Iraq and Afghanistan. The current level of British casualties is unacceptable.

In the case of Iraq, what is being achieved by the continuing British presence? Our troops are severely restricted in what they can do and they are subject to unreasonable risks. There is now a clear recognition that the objectives of their mission cannot be achieved.

It is nearly a year since Sir Richard Dannatt’s realistic analysis of the British position and nothing has happened since to contradict him. Is it the case, as some have argued, that our continuing presence in Iraq is now only to show solidarity with the United States? Were that to be so, could it be justified against the present level of our casualties?

There are persistent reports that there will be a reduction in the number of British forces deployed to Iraq. It is time to set a framework for the complete withdrawal of all of our forces. The need to do so is underlined by the situation in Afghanistan where our forces are at full stretch. Their position would be made much easier if we were not engaged simultaneously in two such demanding deployments. Afghanistan poses a severe challenge for our forces with its triple requirement to fight the Taliban, to win hearts and minds, and to implement the counter narcotic policy.

In short, is it not clear that withdrawal from Iraq would give us a considerable advantage in Afghanistan, where the military advice is that NATO’s mission can still be successful.

It is time to make the necessary strategic adjustment. Recent events demand it.

Yours sincerely,

Menzies Campbell

Responding to the Royal Mail’s announcement that families will soon be able to send care parcels free of charge to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ming Campbell said:

“I am pleased that families can now send care parcels free of charge to their loved ones serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. This small step may make an enormous difference to the morale of those fighting in these difficult deployments.

“The Ministry of Defence must now work with the Royal Mail to ensure that the free parcel service is maintained after Christmas.”

Commenting on senior military commanders’ advice to the Government to withdraw troops from south-east Iraq without further delay, as reported in The Independent on Sunday, Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell said:

“Gordon Brown must listen to his generals in Iraq and set a target date for withdrawal. The number of British deaths and casualties is unacceptable.

“We have a moral obligation to the brave young men and women fighting in Iraq and to the British people to reappraise our strategy and start the drawdown of troops.”

Writing in today’s Guardian, Polly Toynbee, who discussed the issue of Iraq with Ming Campbell yesterday, declares the Liberal Democrats “right, right and right again about the Iraq war”.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Menzies Campbell, wrote to Gordon Brown yesterday: “The current level of British casualties is unacceptable. What is being achieved by the continuing British presence? Our troops are severely restricted in what they can do and they are subject to unreasonable risks. There is now a clear recognition that the objectives of their mission cannot be achieved … Is it the case that our continuing presence in Iraq is now only to show solidarity with the United States? Were it so, could it be justified against the level of our casualties? It is time to set a framework for the complete withdrawal of all our forces.”

Yet again, the Lib Dems are right on every point. When I talked to Campbell yesterday, he said he had spoken to top-ranking officers who want out of Iraq while there is still just a chance of saving the situation in Afghanistan. So, he asks Brown, are young men dying only to spare President Bush embarrassment? Soldiers have done everything humanly possible to keep the peace in Basra, but are now driven back into two small and dangerous strongholds from which they can do little: 90% of attacks in the city are now directed against them. Brave men are well-trained to take risks and to see their friends die around them. But Campbell says pleasing the White House is no legitimate war objective. Few disagree, on any side of the house.

Read the full article.

Commenting on the killing of 200 Kurds in a series of bombings in Iraq, Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell said:

“The security situation in Iraq is deteriorating in spite of the policy of ‘surge’ followed by the United States. These barbaric attacks highlight the increasing level of violence in the country.

“It is now time to create international support for Iraq so that coalition forces can withdraw.”