Britain 'to stay course' in Iraq

Britain will "stay the course" in Iraq, Tony Blair has pledged after a senior diplomat warned civil war was more likely there than a stable democracy.

The Prime Minister gave his defiant assessment after a confidential memo sent to him by outgoing ambassador in Baghdad William Patey was leaked. Mr Patey's final telegram before he left the post last week - seen by the BBC - predicted the country was most likely to break up along ethnic lines.

"The prospect of a low intensity civil war and a de facto division of Iraq is probably more likely at this stage than a successful and substantial transition to a stable democracy," he wrote.

It came as the most senior American military commander in the Middle East also warned Iraq could move towards civil war.

The raging sectarian violence there was now "as bad as I have seen it", commander of US Central Command John Abizaid told the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

Mr Blair, confronted with the contents of the diplomatic cable at his monthly press conference, told reporters Britain would not be deterred from its mission by the violence.

"The purpose (of those behind the violence) is to put extremists in charge of countries rather than those committed to democracy," he said.

"What should our response be? However difficult it is, stay the course, stand up for those people who want democracy, stand for those people who are fighting sectarianism, stand up for a different vision of the Middle East based on democracy, liberty and the rule of law.

"That is what we are doing and however tough it is, we will see it through, and actually if you read the whole of the telegram, that is precisely what William is saying."

Conservative director of policy development Oliver Letwin called on the Government to be open about the scale of difficulties in Iraq, adding: "We are all in this together and we can't act together and do the right things unless we know what is really going on."