LONDON, Sept 28: Britain’s Ministry of Defence on Wednesday distanced itself from an intelligence report published by the BBC that said the US-led war in Iraq had fuelled Muslim radicalism around the world.

The BBC on Wednesday broadcast what it said were extracts of notes by an intelligence officer working for a ministry think-tank that also criticised Pakistan’s ability to fight terrorism and said its intelligence service should be scrapped.

The defence ministry said the material “in no way represents the views of either the MoD (ministry of defence) or the government”.

Newsnight, the British Broadcasting Corporation’s current affairs show, said the author of the report was thought to be linked to the MI6 (secret intelligence service), have a military background and be involved in anti-terrorism strategy.

An extract of the document read: “The wars in Afghanistan and particularly Iraq have not gone well and are progressing slowly towards an, as yet, unspecified and uncertain result. The war in Iraq has acted as a recruiting sergeant for extremists from across the Muslim world.”

The author of the report also heaped blame for a failure to win the “war on terror” on Pakistan, alleging that its intelligence agency, ISI, indirectly supported the Taliban. It suggested the answer was for President Musharraf to step down and the ISI to be dismantled.—AFP