Britain will 'hold its nerve' in Iraq, Blair insists

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair Monday denied that British forces would 'cut and run' from Iraq following warnings by military leaders about the plight of troops deployed in the country.

Britain intends "to hold its nerve," Blair insisted in a meeting with Iraqi deputy prime minister Barham Saleh, the Prime Minister's Office said.

"It is wrong to suggest that the prime minister is going to press him on an exit strategy," a spokesman said.

"Obviously, there is a process of transition and handover going on," the spokesman said. "Obviously we want this process to go as quickly as possible, but we will stay until the job is done." Blair's office also denied that the Iraqi deputy prime minister had been pressed for assurances that Iraqi forces could take over policing southern Iraq within a year.

Speaking during a visit to Afghanistan on Sunday, British Defence Secretary Des Browne said he thought Iraqi forces could be capable of taking full control in 12 months.

Salih was also quoted saying by the BBC that the UK and US could not "cut and run" from the situation.

"We understand this is not an open-ended commitment by the international community," he said, but warned that the international community could not "leave the Iraqis to face these difficult challenges on our own." The meeting in London on Iraq's security comes after the new head of Britain's Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, warned that the deployment of troops "exacerbated" the situation and should withdraw "some time soon." It also coincided with the Iraqi government saying it had imposed curfew in the southern town of Amara after battles between Shi'ite militias and police in recent days.

Following growing concern in the US about the situation, President George W Bush denied Washington would abandon the goal of building a democracy three years after overthrowing Saddam Hussein's regime, but admitted military tactics would keep changing.

On Sunday, a US State Department official Alberto Fernandez was also forced to apologise, after saying that his country had shown "arrogance and stupidity" in Iraq.

Britain currently still has around 7,000 troops stationed in southern Iraq around the second city of Basra, but reports have suggested that military leaders want the UK to concentrate more on Afghanistan where there are nearly 6,000 UK soldiers.

During his visit to London, Iraq's deputy prime minister is also meeting Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett as well as holding talks with business leaders.