Gordon Brown last night dismissed pressure to set an early timetable for the withdrawal of British forces from Iraq as an option that would betray international obligations and threaten the safety of the troops on the ground.
The prime minister used a letter to the Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, to reassure Washington that he does not intend to cut and run from the US-led coalition despite growing American fears, spiced with criticism that British strategy faces defeat in the four southern provinces under London’s control since the 2003 invasion.
– The Guardian
Senior social workers have given warning of the dangers posed by a new government register that will store the details of every child in England from next year.
They fear that the database, containing the address, medical and school details of all under-18s, could be used to harm the children whom it is intended to protect.
– The Times
The total cost of the Iraq war has soared to GB pound 6.6 billion – making it the most costly conflict since the Second World War, it has emerged.
New calculations based on the latest Whitehall departmental spending figures, show that when aid, debt relief and security costs are taken into account, the total is GB pound 1.6 billion higher than the GB pound 5 billion outlay admitted by the Treasury.
– The Telegraph
