Source: Samantha Maiden - Political correspondent - The Australian.

 LIBERAL MPs have declared Iraq "a mess" and warned that Prime Minister John Howard should set a date to withdraw Australian troops.

As former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer yesterday declared that Iraq had descended into civil war and accused the US Government of making "awful mistakes", several Liberal MPs broke ranks to urge the Howard Government to shift policy.

Their concerns echo the findings of last week's Newspoll that found more than 70 per cent of Australians believe the Iraq war was not worth fighting, and almost half want a firm timetable for troops to return home.

Mr Fischer, a Vietnam war veteran who led the Nationals during the first two terms of the Howard Government, said there was no point denying Iraq had descended into civil war.

"Absolutely. There's no use saying otherwise, it's splitting hairs," he said. "It was the right decision to go, but the Americans have made some awful mistakes under (US administrator) Paul Bremer and (former defence secretary) Donald Rumsfeld.

We now face a form of modern Balkanisation in Iraq, Kurdistan in the north, a Sunni central and Shia in the south. On top of that ... Baghdad (has) a form of street-by-street balkanisation."

Mr Fischer stopped short of calling for the withdrawal of Australian troops, arguing that was a matter for the Government.

In October, Queensland senator Russell Trood became the first Coalition MP to break ranks over Iraq, when he warned Australia risked being dragged into a drawn-out but ultimately futile war.

Yesterday, NSW Liberal MP Bruce Baird said the time had come for Australia to set the date to leave Iraq.

"I just think the whole thing is a mess," he said. Victorian Liberal MP Russell Broadbent said he also wanted troops out. "It's not going well. My view is I would like the troops out as a soon as possible," he said.