Thousands of errors in Iraq: Rice

Blackburn, England: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has defended her government's war in Iraq, despite having made "thousands of errors," as she faced a series of protests during a tour of northwest England.

"I believe strongly it was the right strategic decision," Rice said Friday.

"I know we've made tactical errors, thousands of them, I'm sure," she said in a speech at Blackburn's Chatham House -- a center for independent research on global issues.

"I am quite certain there are going to be dissertations written about the mistakes of the Bush administration," she said.

"But when you look back in history what will be judged on is" whether the "right strategic decision" was made.

Her comments came on the first full day of a two-day tour of northwest England. Rice was accompanied by her UK counterpart, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who is a local member of Parliament.

Straw also spoke at Chatham House, describing the need for global unity.

Although foreign policy is still about national interests, "we also recognize we must advance those interests by developing a community of nations in which people can share in common values," he said.

"An international society which works is the best guarantee of our own security and prosperity."

Earlier on Friday, anti-war demonstrations led to the cancellation of a planned visit by Rice and Straw to a mosque.

About 20 percent of Blackburn's population is Muslim, and Rice had been invited to visit the mosque.

That invitation was withdrawn, however, amid reports that widespread protests about US policy towards Muslims and the war in Iraq were planned. Rice is still scheduled to meet Saturday with Muslim leaders in Blackburn and the town's mayor, Ugandan immigrant Yusuf Jan-Virmani.

During a visit later to Sir Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute of the Performing Arts, Rice was booed and jeered by a small number of students wearing T-shirts with the slogan "No Torture, No Compromise."

One of the students, Jon Netton, told the Press Association it was a "disgrace" that Rice had been invited to the academy when the former Beatle was a leading anti-war campaigner.

"We wish she hadn't been invited here. Why should we be seen to condone the actions of this woman?" he said.

Earlier on Friday, Rice and Straw visited a high school in Blackburn where about 150 protesters chanted anti-war slogans and waved banners.

Some shouted, "Condoleezza Rice, go home," and "Hey, hey Condi Rice, how many kids did you kill today?"

Jaabbar Khan, a 16-year-old student, said about 50 of his classmates skipped classes to join the demonstration.

"The majority of the Muslim community are opposed to the war and her visit," said Salim Amed, 38, a call center worker from Blackburn.