McCain backs troops in Iraq

New Hampshire: Republican nominee John McCain believes that the withdrawal of British troops from Basra has endangered security in southern Iraq and that a premature withdrawal of US troops would lead to "genocide".

Speaking ahead of his first meeting with Gordon Brown in London next week, McCain said he fears that the gradual British withdrawal from Iraq is allowing armed factions to carve out fiefdoms in Basra and its surrounding province.

In a dire prediction for the consequences of a complete withdrawal of US forces, he claimed that it would lead to "genocide and chaos across the region".

He added: "One of the debates of this election will be if the American people want a candidate who wants to get out of Iraq as quickly as possible. If we do that Al Qaida wins and they will follow us home." The 71-year-old Arizona senator, who will do battle with either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in November's presidential election, was an early supporter of removing Saddam Hussain and his campaign will have national security and success in Iraq at its core.

He said he found little encouragement in the decline in attacks on troops and in violence generally in southern Iraq since the remaining British forces retreated to Basra airport last summer.

"With all due respect I remain concerned about the situation in Basra," he said. "There are different factions that have taken over certain areas. Everybody knows that, it's not a secret, and General Petraeus is concerned too," he said of the US commander in Iraq.

"I will stay with this strategy because I would rather lose a campaign than a war," he concluded.