UK troops exacerbate problems in Iraq - head of army

LONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) The head of Britain's army said the presence of British troops in Iraq was exacerbating the security situation on the ground and they should be withdrawn soon.

In an interview with Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, to be published tomorrow, General Sir Richard Dannatt also said Britain's involvement in Iraq was aggravating security problems elsewhere in the world.

In comments which are unusually blunt for a serving senior officer, he told the newspaper troops should ''get ... out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems''.

Britain, Washington's main ally in Iraq, has around 7,000 troops deployed, mainly in the south of the country.

Dannatt said: ''We are in a Muslim country and Muslims' views of foreigners in their country are quite clear. As a foreigner, you can be welcomed by being invited in a country, but we weren't invited certainly by those in Iraq at the time.

''The military campaign we fought in 2003 effectively kicked the door in. Whatever consent we may have had in the first place, may have turned to tolerance and has largely turned to intolerance. That is a fact. I don't say that the difficulties we are experiencing round the world are caused by our presence in Iraq but undoubtedly our presence in Iraq exacerbates them.'' REUTERS DH PM0312