Britain's armed forces are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit soldiers because of the "Mom factor" -- the fear that sons and daughters will be killed in Iraq if they join the army, a senior British general said on Saturday.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Maj. General Andrew Ritchie, who retired as commandant of Sandhurst in April, said that the involvement of the army in an unpopular war and the danger on the streets of Basra and Baghdad are undermining confidence.

"It is having an effect on recruiting," he said. "There is a mom factor. Moms find Iraq deeply unpopular -- they are concerned that their youngsters will be exposed to real risk and danger. That worries them. And moms are hugely influential in boys and girls joining the army."

Although the British Defence Ministry insists that it is on course to meet 85 percent of its recruitment needs for 2005-2006, the shortfall last year rose by more than 300 percent. That means more than 2,000 vacancies.

Opinion polls have consistently shown that opposition to the war in Iraq is higher among women than men.

British troops' morale had also been hit by the lack of public support for the war and by legal action against soldiers and officers accused of human rights abuses in Iraq, the general said.

Source: Xinhua