June 21 (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Tony Blair rejected a lawmaker's call to bring British troops home from Iraq, saying they'll stay there until they ``get the job done.''
His comments came after Japan said this week that its ground troops will be withdrawn as Iraqi forces take their place in the southern city of Samawah.
The fight in Iraq ``is part of the wider struggle against terrorism,'' Blair said in Parliament today. ``The reason why it is difficult in Iraq today is because there are people there who want to stop democracy taking root.''
Blair was responding to a question from Michael Ancram, a Conservative lawmaker and former minister who supported the U.S.- led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Britain has about 7,000 soldiers in the country, the second biggest contingent after the U.S.