The governments of Britain and Iraq insisted on Wednesday that recent tension over a British army operation in Basra will not have an adverse effect on relations.
Speaking at a joint news conference in London with British Defence Secretary John Reid, Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari described the events in Basra as ”regrettable”.
But he added they will not ”affect the good relations” between London and Baghdad.
Jaafari praised the ”big contribution” the multinational forces in Iraq have already made towards establishing security and democracy in the country.
He stressed that ”terrorism is the common enemy” they are jointly facing.
Reid said great progress has already been made towards promoting democracy and freedom to Iraq, despite the ”efforts of insurgents to undermine democracy”.
He pledged that Britain will stand by the Iraqi government, and said: ”Iraq will not change overnight. We will not cut and run, we will not leave the job half done, nor be fair-weather friends.”
He defended the action taken by the British army in Basra on Monday to free from custody two undercover servicemen who had been arrested by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in the city.
”We stand by the action of our forces on the ground. They took swift and decisive action in very difficult circumstances,” said Reid.
There has been ”no fundamental breakdown in trust” between the British and the Iraqi government, Reid insisted.
However, Jaafari said he did ”not have enough information” on the incident in Basra and would await the outcome of an inquiry ordered by his government.
Meanwhile, in Baghdad on Wednesday, Interior Minister Bayan Jabr denied British claims that the two servicemen had been ”handed over” by the police to a Shi’ite militia group.
The ”rumours” that the soldiers were in danger, kidnapped or transferred to the militia were ”not true”, said Jabr.
Reports from Basra said on Wednesday that five civilians died in clashes surrounding the controversial army operation.
Iraq’s government admitted on Wednesday that the police and security forces in ”many parts of Iraq” have been infiltrated by ”terrorists and insurgents”.
National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie said: ”I have to admit that the security forces are penetrated. To what extent, I don’t know.” — Sapa-DPA