Last year's war has turned Iraq into a battleground for al Qaeda, MPs warned on Thursday.

A Commons foreign affairs committee report expressed concern over a number of areas including Iraq, Afghanistan and the consequences for the Middle East peace process.

The committee said there is an "insufficient number of troops in Iraq".

The shortage of forces has created a law and order "vacuum" in parts of Iraq, which had turned the country into a "battle ground" for terrorists such as al Qaeda.