LONDON, September 22 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The officer who commanded the British 7th Armored Brigade in the Gulf War has revealed that he is strongly opposed to a military invasion of Iraq, reported a U.K. newspaper on Sunday, September 22.

The Telegraph reported that Maj Gen Patrick Cordingley, who commanded the brigade - the renowned Desert Rats - in 1991, believes that Iraq poses no imminent threat to Britain or its interests and that "the case for war has not yet been made by the politicians."

Gen Cordingley told The Telegraph: "I'm absolutely opposed to a war. I feel very strongly that it is wrong. There is no justification for sending British troops to Iraq."

He doubted that the dossier of evidence against the Iraqi regime - to be released by Tony Blair on Tuesday - would prove the case for war, said the paper. "I don't think they have much, frankly," he said.

It is understood that Gen Cordingley also has grave concerns about the number of casualties that could result from having to fight all the way to Baghdad, reported the Telegraph adding that based on his forecast from 1991 that military casualties in a full-scale conflict could amount to 15 per cent, a suggested British and American invasion force of 250,000 troops could suffer more than 37,000 casualties.

In the event in 1991, the predicted battles between two large armies did not materialize and allied casualties numbered fewer than 250. The United States lost 148 men and Britain 24 - nine of them to U.S. friendly fire, it said.

Gen Cordingley, 58, is the first retired senior Army officer and Gulf War veteran to condemn the Government's stance on a possible Iraq war.

The Telegraph has learnt, however, of a growing unease among senior British officers. One serving officer said that Britain and the U.S. should embark on a war only with the sanction of the UN.

In another article, the Telegraph quoted the U.K. International Development Secretary Clare Short saying that it would be wrong to launch a Gulf War-style invasion of Iraq.

The Telegraph quoted Short as saying: "We cannot have another Gulf war. We cannot have the people of Iraq suffering again. They have suffered too much. That would be wrong."

"We have to find a way of enforcing, quite rightly, UN resolutions. Saddam Hussein and the elite around him should be frightened. We should frighten them. We should be ready to impose the will of the United Nations on them if they don't co-operate, but not by hurting the people of Iraq.

"Each one of them is as precious as the 3,000 people in the twin towers. We can't sacrifice them to put it right," she said, reported the paper.

On Saturday, September 21, the paper said that U.K. leader of the Commons, Robin Cook warned Tony Blair from supporting the U.S.'s war plans.

In an interview with the Telegraph, he makes clear that any British involvement must have the full authority of the United Nations. It should also be limited to removing weapons of mass destruction and not involve regime change.

Cook also uses his position as Leader of the House to insist that MPs should have a "substantive" vote when a decision is taken on whether Britain should go to war, reported the Telegraph.