http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040729/wl_afp/iraq_unrest_britain_040729160453LONDON (AFP) - The US-led coalition's failure to restore security has turned Iraq (news - web sites) into a battleground for the likes of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s Al-Qaeda network, a British parliamentary committee said.
In a major report on the war on terrorism, the House of Commons foreign affairs committee said the lack of law and order had created a "vacuum" for criminals and militias, with "appalling consequences" for the Iraqi people.
It added that Iraq's own police and armed forces are still "a long way from being able to maintain security," and warned that ongoing violence could mar elections planned for early next year.
"We conclude that the violence in Iraq stems from a number of sources, including members of the former regime, local Islamists, criminal gangs and Al-Qaeda," the committee said.
"Iraq has become a 'battleground' for Al-Qaeda, with appalling consequences for the Iraqi people," it added
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