US officer condemns Iraq strategy

A senior serving US army officer has launched a scathing attack on the US military leadership in Iraq. Lieutenant Colonel Paul Yingling said US generals had failed to prepare their troops properly and had misled Congress about the resources needed for the war.

Writing in the Armed Forces Journal, he said the US had repeated the mistakes of Vietnam and so faced defeat in Iraq.Such criticism from a serving officer is rare, analysts say, although several retired generals have spoken out.

Lt Col Yingling's remarks come a day after the top US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, described the situation in Iraq as "exceedingly complex and very tough".