Al-Qaeda Using Iraq As Terrorist Training Ground.

The Daily Telegraph on July 3 reported a British parliamentary committee as saying that, rather than being subdued by the war in Iraq, al-Qaeda had "changed its modus operandi" and was using Iraq as a training ground for future terrorists and as a propaganda tool in its war against the West. The committee reports that the war on terror has increased the likelihood of another "brutal attack" on Britain, similar to the one that occurred in London on July 7, 2005, saying: "Despite a number of successes targeting the leadership and infrastructure of al-Qaeda, the danger of international terrorism, whether from al-Qaeda or other related groups, has not diminished and may well have increased. Al-Qaeda continues to pose an extremely serious and brutal threat to the United Kingdom and its interests".

The members of the foreign affairs select committee who wrote the report cited evidence that tactics used by al-Qaeda in Iraq were increasingly being used by other groups. The MPs argued that, since 9/11, al-Qaeda has fragmented into autonomous local cells united by the same extreme ideology, but far more difficult to track than when it was under more centralised leadership. Despite that, it said, lessons were being learned by terrorists in one theatre of war from their counterparts in another, adding: "We have seen methods copied from the terrorist campaign in Iraq being used in Afghanistan by Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked groups and their Afghan warlord allies to attack".

The MPs felt that, while it was the hope of US and British troops to eventually hand over the responsibility of fighting insurgents to the Iraqi military, Iraqi troops "remain a long way from being able to take the lead on security across Iraq". An over-reliance on Shi'ites and Kurds to build up troop strength "added to tensions in a country already riven by ethnic violence".

The Financial Times reported that the committee said the West must do more to counter terrorist propaganda, which it called one of the major tools in al-Qaeda's arsenal. The MPs specifically singled out the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, which it said was "backfiring". The report said: "We...conclude that the continuing existence of Guantanamo diminishes US moral authority and adds to the list of grievances against the US. We further conclude that detentions without either national or international authority work against British as well as US interests and hinder the effective pursuit of the 'war against terrorism'".

The Scotsman said the MPs were concerned the British mission in Afghanistan was in danger of "blurring" its mission of fighting insurgents and eradicating the opium crop. It said there was "negligible progress" in stopping growing opium trade, and that the UK needed to "clarify" its mission. The British MPs warned against attacking Iran, which they wrote would "likely unleash extremely serious consequences".

In Afghanistan, the BBC reported that British commanders had asked for more troops and equipment in order to deal with fierce fighting with Taliban militants. Brig. Ed Butler, in charge of UK forces, said his troops were "well-prepared and well-equipped", but had asked for more troops to deal with "changing circumstances". The Guardian reported that, while coalition military leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan may have previously called the Taliban a "spent force", their assessment had changed over the past six months of intensive fighting. The Taliban have taken their campaign to Kandahar, a city the Neo-Salafis consider their spiritual capital. Iraq-style roadside bombings have killed Canadian soldiers and driven most westerners off the streets. Taliban officials stroll openly through the market and the handful of remaining western aid workers rarely venture beyond the city limits in their bullet-proof vehicles.

Local staff of international organisations are intimidated by "night letters" - threatening tracts pinned to their doors under cover of darkness. "It's the worst I've seen it here", said a western official with four years' experience in Kandahar, adding: "We see people growing their beards longer and moving their families back to Pakistan".

The Times of London said two other important committee reports by leading MPs "condemn" UK PM Tony Blair's government for "their botched efforts to give police new powers to hold terror suspects for up to 90 days". Although the influential Home Affairs Select Committee concedes some suspects will have to be detained without charge for longer than the present 28 days, it rebukes the government for its failure to properly examine the police case for giving them more time. The committee says Blair and Charles Clarke, in mid-2005 the Home Secretary, backed the police argument on the flimsy basis of three press releases from chief police officers, a letter and a brief covering note.

The MPs criticised the police for not providing more comprehensive backing for their case instead of submitting only two sides of A4 paper describing a couple of previous terror operations. The Times said Chancellor Gordon Brown, thought to be the eventual successor to Blair, proposed restarting the debate to extend the current 28-day holding period, but this time ensuring greater consultation with other MPs and more safeguards to protect the rights of those being held.