THE request from the United States for back-up from British troops highlights the continuing political and military uncertainty in Iraq.

It amply demonstrates the absence of a coherent post-war, post-Saddam strategy for Iraq.

That said, the deployment of British forces in Iraq is well past the point of no return. To pull out of the country now would be to abandon the Iraqi people to the mercy of the insurgents and the terrorists.

Britain has a duty to keep forces in Iraq until such time that a sovereign government in Iraq can sustain itself, its economy and its security.

In the short term, we have a duty to ensure that elections go ahead as planned in January.

We have the utmost respect for members of our armed forces. Those based in Iraq have a difficult and challenging task to perform.

Their security and safety must be given the utmost priority. But those safeguards have to be balanced against the need to establish a lasting settlement in Iraq.

And if it is considered that redeploying some British soldiers closer to Iraq will help the establishment of a settlement, then we must shirk from taking such a decision.

The political decision to engage our forces in Iraq has already been taken. It is a decision on which the Prime Minister will be held to account at the General Election.

But the movement of our troops within Iraq is very much a military decision, and it would ridiculous to seek parliamentary approval at every step of the campaign.