CONDOLEEZZA RICE clashed with a Blackburn councillor after giving a keynote speech on American foreign policy.

During the speech, she declared that America had no desire to be the "world's jailer" as she sought to reassure Europeans worried over Washington's war on terror.

On the issue of Iraq, Dr Rice said: "I know we have made tactical errors, thousands of them I am sure."

She insisted however that ultimately America would be judged on whether it had made the right "strategic" judgments in the region. She indicated that the US was not planning any withdrawal of troops as long as the terrorist threat remained.

"I think it would be wrong to somehow leave Iraq to the mercies of the Zarqawis of the world or the former Baathists who really do want to unravel the political process," she said.

But Wensley Fold councillor Dave Harling told her: "I can see similarities with Vietnam here. Is it not time for America to withdraw, and Britain for that matter too?"

Dr Rice added that she felt America and its allies had to remain in the area to help generate the conditions in which a democracy could grow.

Earlier, Mr Straw said in his speech: "I know that the military action we took was controversial, but I still believe it was the right thing to do."