'Iraq's invasion a terrible episode'

London, Jan 14: Lord Malloch-Brown, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of Britain, has said that the invasion of Iraq and the occupation of the country by US led multinational forces had been “a terrible episode for everybody".

“A lot of people" had been lost in Iraq war, and no one could feel any sense of victory, said Malloch-Brown, who is known for making controversial remarks. Asked about a swift solution to the situation in Iraq, he said: “At the beginning I devoutly hoped it would." Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed Malloch-Brown as part of his “big tent" policy aimed at bringing in specialists with a wide range of talents. Malloch-Brown made his views clear on Iraq as US President George Bush is visiting Middle East tour.

Commenting on President Bush statement that there would be victory eventually in Iraq, Malloch-Brown said: “We"ve lost a lot of people there. This is not something that there"s triumphalism on any side. This is a terrible episode for everybody."

He said that Iraq was much more of a current political issue in the US than it was in Britain.

“The relative success now of the surge of 30,000 extra US troops in Baghdad and other areas and this excellent General David Petraeus, the US commander of the multinational force in Iraq, has a little bit taken it off the front page," The Times quoted him, as saying.

Malloch-Brown predicted that Iraq would still be a huge issue in the US presidential debate.

ANI