Pentagon hawk, Richard Perle, has accused Europe of lacking moral fibre over Iraq.

In an interview with today's Guardian, he says that "Europe has lost its moral compass".

"Many Europeans have become so obsessed by the prospect of violence that they have failed to notice who we are dealing with," Perle adds.

The US military adviser to George W Bush singles out Germany, arguing that it has "subsided into moral numbing pacifism".

Iraq's parliament yesterday voted to reject the UN security council resolution on weapons inspections.