(AP)- -
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague has called on the Government to undertake a thorough reassessment of its strategy in Iraq, to match the process currently under way in Washington.
Mr Hague said the Government should be working towards the withdrawal of British troops "sooner rather than later", but warned against an over-hasty pullout, which he said could destabilise the administration in Baghdad.
Ministers should come to the House of Commons to spell out candidly the Government's plans for Iraq at the same time as former US Secretary of State James Baker releases his review of American options, said Mr Hague.
Recent leaks have suggested that a bipartisan commission chaired by Mr Baker will advise US President George Bush to drop his "stay the course" policy in favour of preparations for an eventual exit from Iraq - possibly even involving co-operation with Washington's traditional foes Iran and Syria.
His report will be released following the November 7 Congressional elections at which pollsters predict a bruising for Mr Bush's Republicans, in part because of growing public unease over Iraq.
Following talks with senior military commanders on Saturday, Mr Bush said he was ready to change tactics in the battle with insurgents, but insisted: "Our goal in Iraq is clear and unchanging: Our goal is victory."
A senior American diplomat admitted the US had shown "arrogance" and "stupidity" in Iraq.
"We tried to do our best, but I think there is much room for criticism, because, undoubtedly, there was arrogance and there was stupidity from the United States in Iraq," said Alberto Fernandez, director of public diplomacy in the bureau of Near Eastern affairs at the US State Department.
In an interview with Arabic TV station Al-Jazeera, Mr Fernandez also declared that the US was ready to talk with any Iraqi group - except al-Qaida in Iraq - to end the growing sectarian violence and the continuing insurgency.
Mr Hague said that the strategy rethink going on in Washington should be mirrored by a "careful reassessment" in London.
The United Arab Emirates acknowledged on Tuesday that two of its pilots were killed when their military aggression plane crashed over Jawf province, a military official said
The official added that the aggressive crashed plane was an apache that was
Artillery of the army and popular shelled a gathering of Saudi-paid mercenaries in al-Moqadra area in Serwah district of Marib province, a military official said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, dozens of Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed and others injured in Wadi al-Theek in the district, the official added.
The army and popular forces carried out on Monday unique military operations in Taiz province.
A military official said that a number of Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed at the hands of the army and popular forces in al-Jazami Hill in al-Kadaha area in al-Ma'afer district.
A Saudi aggression fighter jet targeted a citizen's car driving in Fara area of Kutaf district in Saada province overnight, killing the driver and injuring his friend, a security official said on Monday.
The army artillery and popular committees launched a fierce attack on Saudi-paid mercenaries' sites in Jawf province, a military official said on Monday.
The attack destroyed a military vehicle belonging to the mercenaries and killed all on board in Sabran area in khab and shaaf district.
Scores of Saudi enemy soldiers were killed and injured on Sunday when the army and popular forces repelled a Saudi military attempt to sneak into Shurfah site in the border province of Najran, a military official said.
The operation was accomplished successfully against the Saudi
The army and popular committees have killed a total of 18 Saudi-paid mercenaries in sniper operations over the past hours in the central province of Marib, a military official said on Sunday.
Ten mercenaries were killed in Nehm district and eight others were killed in Serwah district, said the official.
Saudi aggression warplanes have launched more than 49 airstrikes over the past hours on several residential areas across Yemen, a security official said on Sunday.
The airstrikes targeted the areas of Malahiz and Husama in Dhahir district, and areas Thuban, Masahif and Sdad in Bakim district of northern Saada province.
Hague calls for Iraq 'reassessment'
