'Danger' countries 'emboldened by failures'

Countries such as Iran, Syria and North Korea have been "emboldened" by failures in the British and US-led War on Terror, a report warns today.

Iraq has become a "combat training zone for jihadists" as a result of the military intervention, while the Taliban are resurgent in Afghanistan and terrorist attacks worldwide are on the rise.

A study by think-tank the Oxford Research Group also raises fears that the UK's decision to replace Trident could "substantially encourage" other states to develop nuclear weapons.

The damning critique of Western foreign policy comes amid growing concern over Iran's apparent willingness to confront the international community.

The authors say support for political Islam is increasing worldwide, and action such as the war in Iraq has actually boosted the risk of further terrorist atrocities on the scale of 9/11.

The UK and US have been trying to "keep the lid on" problems through military might, rather than addressing the root causes.

"Treating Iraq as part of the War on Terror only spawned new terror in the region and created a combat training zone for jihadists," they write.

The study insists that the consequences of military intervention in Iran would be "disastrous".

But it also warns against allowing Tehran to pursue its public aim of developing civil nuclear power.

"This would involve the development of facilities that are potential terrorist targets, as well as encourage the spread of technology and materials that could be used in the development of nuclear weapons."

According to the study - titled Beyond Terror: The Truth About the Real Threats to Our World - the UK Government's plans for replacing Trident could destabilise the international situation further.

"Nuclear weapon modernisation is likely to serve as a substantial encouragement to nuclear proliferation as countries with perceptions of vulnerability deem it necessary to develop their own deterrent capabilities," it says.

Meanwhile, a separate report from Oxfam described the Iraq invasion as a "terrible misadventure" which had seriously undermined Britain's reputation and capacity to act as a force for good.

But director Barbara Stocking insisted it must not prevent Britain from sending in troops to deal with future humanitarian crises.

"The Iraq war was a terrible misadventure," she said. "But it must not cause future Prime Ministers to return to the caution of the previous Conservative government.

"That administration stood by while the genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda unfolded. We must say 'never again' as much to our failure to stop these atrocities, as to repeating Iraq."

A poll conducted alongside the report found more than two in three voters would still back the use of UK troops as a "last resort to help stop genocide or mass war crimes".

A Foreign Office spokesman said the Government agreed with some of the conclusions of the Oxfam report, "though not all."

He added that the military action in Iraq was justified and denied that the UK now had less influence.

He said: "The UK has pursued an effective foreign policy in the last 10 years, which has been values driven, activist and multilateralist.

"We have rightly focussed on 'hard' security issues such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Sierra Leone as well as 'softer' issues such as climate change and poverty eradication.

"We disagree that the UK now exercises less influence because of Iraq.

"On the contrary the UK remains at the heart of every major international debate and our influence as consensus builders is recognised worldwide.

"As the Government has consistently argued, we also believe that our intervention in Iraq was justified.

"Our close links with US and European colleagues and partnership with emerging powers like Brazil, India and China also gives us a unique role in forging coalitions for change - for example on trade and climate change."