Iraq government 'faces hard task'

Mr Richmond says the violence could last "weeks even months"

The new Iraqi government faces a tough task as the upsurge in violence will continue after this week's handover, Britain's Iraq ambassador has warned.

David Richmond, the UK special representative to Iraq, told BBC One's The Politics Show the security problems could continue for "weeks even months".

But Mr Richmond said he was confident the administration would cope.

His warning came after two car bombs in the Iraqi town of Hilla killed 23 people on Saturday evening.

The Foreign Office said it "utterly condemned" the attacks on "innocent Iraqi civilians" in the town, 100km (60 miles) south of Baghdad.

Attacks

More than 100 Iraqis have been killed over the past week, with most of the attacks aimed at Iraq's security forces and others working with the coalition authorities.

Mr Richmond said the violence was likely to continue after the handover of power from the US-led coalition to an interim Iraqi government on Wednesday.

"I think it is true security will be very difficult for the next few weeks and possibly two or three months," he said.

To abandon the timetable now could easily provoke and encourage yet more acts of terror Sir Menzies Campbell, Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman

He said it should improve as Iraqi security forces become better trained and equipped and take control of their own security during "the autumn and winter".

"Despite the very difficult security situation the business of government has been able to continue to be conducted over the last few weeks and I am confident the interim government will be able to continue that," he added.

But Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell expressed alarm the United Nations-backed elections planned by the end of January may be delayed because of the violence.

"To abandon the timetable now could easily provoke and encourage yet more acts of terror."

Conservative defence spokesman Nicholas Soames said he would be writing to Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon on Monday to ask for full details of the military chain of command after the handover.

He said it was vital to spell out clearly what the relationship between British troops and the interim government will be.

"I suspect it will be rather like Northern Ireland after a bit, where the British troops will be acting as a military aid to a civilian power in support of their own police force."