The chairman of the Commons international development committee has condemned Clare Short for comparing insurgents in Iraq to the French resistance of the second world war.

The former international development secretary, who resigned following the Iraq conflict, said the attacks against civilians were wrong but backed the "just" cause being pursued by insurgents.

"I think it's always wrong to target civilians, because even when you understood the IRA, they never targeted civilians. That's a terrible moral deterioration that's taken place," she said.

"But I understand the anger and the demand for action and it's not good enough for the world to say state violence is okay and non-state violence is not okay."

Short went on to suggest that history proved that the suppressed would turn to violence unless their aggressors withdrew.

"The American public fought against British colonialism with violence, the free French fought against German occupation with violence, the Palestinian people are entitled to resist occupation," she said.

"I mean, it's in international law [and] the Iraqi people are entitled [to resist occupation]."

Her outspoken remarks drew the fire of senior Tory Tony Baldry, who was hosting a fringe meeting at the Conservative conference in Bournemouth.

In response to a question from ePolitix.com the backbencher said: "I am afraid Clare Short has become a loose cannon. I am not sure that she has anything else useful to add to the debate."

Fellow panelist Ali Al Bayat, who is an Iraqi political representative in Britain, would not be drawn on the issue but appealed to British politicians to help Iraqis get more power from the Americans.

Marginalised

Since resigning from the Cabinet, Short has become increasingly marginalised within the Labour Party.

However her comments are likely to fuel the on-going row about future British engagement in post-conflict Iraq.

In the interview Short also accused the prime minister of "half truths and deceptions" over Iraq and demanded his removal from office.

Her comments also drew sharp criticism from Alan Duncan of the Conservatives, who said: "We all know conflict can have many causes and many forces behind it."

"But to equate the activities of Iraqi insurgents and terrorists with French resistance puts her outside the parameters of any kind of decent comment in British politics."