Iraq war radicalising young Muslims

"There is no doubt that Iraq is a important factor in the disenchantment that we have seen among some Muslim youths," said council spokesman Inayat Bunglawala.

"It's about time that the government acknowledged, that the government must not completely ignore the Iraqi factor," he said.

"There are also other factors to do with unemployment, underachievement in education, religious discrimination, a feeling that their faith is demonised continuously."

Police believe four young British Muslims became suicide bombers on July 7, committing a series of attacks in the London transport system that left at least 56 people dead and 700 injured.

The British capital was jolted again on Thursday -- exactly two weeks after the deadly attacks -- by a series of failed bomb attacks.

The comments by the council spokesman came as other prominent Muslims said the threat to Britain would not disappear so long as British troops remained in Iraq.

"7/7, 21/7 and God knows what will happen afterwards, our lives are in real danger... so long as we are in Iraq and so long as we are contributing to injustices around the world," said Azzam Tamimi of the Muslim Association of Britain.