LONDON, Aug 28: British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office was warned over a year before the July London bombings that the war in Iraq was fuelling Muslim extremist recruitment in Britain, a newspaper said on Sunday.

The Observer weekly published a leaked letter from the Foreign Office’s permanent secretary Michael Jay to cabinet secretary Andrew Turnbull, who provides administrative support to Mr Blair, dated May 18 2004.

The letter said British foreign policy was a “recurring theme” in Britain’s Muslim community, “especially in the context of the Middle East peace process and Iraq.

“British foreign policy and the perception of its negative effect on Muslims globally plays a significant role in creating a feeling of anger and impotence among especially the younger generation of British Muslims.

“This seems to be a key driver behind recruitment by extremist organisations.”

In the wake of the July 7 London terror bombings, which killed 56 people, Mr Blair has repeatedly said Iraq was just the latest excuse being used by extremists carrying out terrorist atrocities.

The attacks on three London subway trains and a bus were carried out by four alleged suicide bombers, all British. Three were British-born of Pakistani origin while the fourth was a naturalised Briton from Jamaica.

A second wave of attacks on July 21 failed when the bombs did not detonate fully.

The Observer said a strategy document was attached to the letter saying Britain was viewed as a “crusader state” on a par with the United States as a potential target after participating in the US-led March 2003 invasion.

The docment said: “Muslim resentment towards the West is worse than ever.”

“Though we are moving on from a conflict to a reconstruction phase in Iraq, there are no signs of any moderation in this resentment.

“Our work on engaging with Islam has therefore been knocked back. Mr (Mike) O’Brien (then a Foreign Office minister) has expressed his concern.”—AFP