Independent Online Edition > UK Politics > Britain less safe because of Iraq war, says Cameron

Independent Online Edition > UK Politics > Britain less safe because of Iraq war, says Cameron: "Britain is more unsafe because of its involvement in the Iraq war, David Cameron said, as he promised his foreign policy would not be dictated by the US if he became prime minister.

The Conservative leader endorsed a report by his party's policy group on security issues, which said: 'We need to recognise that a central element of foreign policy - the intervention in Iraq - has failed in its objectives so badly that the threat to this country is actually greater than it was before it began.'

Mr Cameron, who voted for the war in 2003 despite misgivings, said it was ' fact' that the threat to Britain was greater now. He said Mr Blair had behaved like a 'new best friend' telling Washington what it wanted to hear. While he would have no truck for anti-Americanism, he said: ' Where there are areas where we don't agree, we shouldn't be afraid of saying so.'He also backed the group's call for the Foreign Office to reassert its influence over foreign policy after criticism that Mr Blair's 'sofa' style of governing had meant the key decisions were being taken in Downing Street. 'I want to be prime minister of Britain, not president,' he said." Read complete post here.