Tony Blair on Wednesday shifted ground on the continuing presence of British troops in Iraq by saying it was government policy to leave the country within 10 to 16 months so long as the security situation allowed.

The prime minister also agreed with the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, that the presence of British forces could become a provocation, but disagreed with Gen Dannatt by insisting it was still the government's aim to secure a liberal democracy in Iraq.

In a change of tone, Blair told MPs the aim was to leave the Iraqi forces to organize security, adding: "Otherwise, of course, we are a provocation rather than a help to them."

Blair added: "I told the (Commons) liaison committee just a few months ago: 'I suspect over the next 18 months there will obviously be opportunities to draw down significant numbers of British troops because the capacity of the Iraqi forces will build up.' I said it then. I say it now."

He added that in August General George Casey, US commander of forces in Iraq, also called for a withdrawal over 12 to 18 months. Casey, Blair reminded MPs, had said: "I don't have a date, but I can see over the next 12 to 18 months the Iraqi security forces progressing to a point where they can take on the security responsibilities for the country."

But Blair refused to abandon his aim to secure democracy in the Middle East saying: "I believe that the maintenance of democracy is absolutely essential for us, in Iraq and in Afghanistan."

He added: "I don't want to dismay our allies or hearten our enemies by suggesting we will do anything else other than stay until the job is done."

Blair balanced his remarks with a more familiar insistence that it would be disastrous for allied forces to leave prematurely. His spokesman said later that British troops would be provocative if they stayed after the Iraqi Government had asked them to leave, or the Iraqi security forces were deemed capable of dealing with the insurgency.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Menzies Campbell, said it was clear the government's strategy had failed and the choice was stark to change strategy or get out. But Blair insisted that only the "progressive" withdrawal of British forces, as the Iraqi security capability built up, would work.

Opinion-polling in Iraq conducted last month showed 71 per cent of Iraqis want coalition troops out within a year. Seventy eight per cent thought the presence of coalition troops was provoking more conflict than preventing it. Fifty-eight per cent thought that if the US left within six months, it would decrease violence.

This is not a view shared by many senior Iraqi leaders, who still believe a precipitate withdrawal would increase the already high levels of violence.

The number of Iraqis who believe Iraq is going in the right direction has fallen to 47 per cent, down from 64 per cent January.

The polling, led by World Public Opinion was conducted between September 1 and September 4 in all 18 Iraqi provinces.

Source: China Daily