Seth Green

Cutting to the Chase

US comic actor Chevy Chase today spoke out against the situation in Iraq.

He called comments by Britain’s most senior soldier about withdrawing from the country ’amazing’ as he prepared to appear in the return of The Secret Policeman’s Ball.

The charity gig in aid of Amnesty International returns tomorrow, 27 years after it first began, featuring stars including Chase, Eddie Izzard, Russell Brand and Al Murray.

Chase, 63, is working with Austin Powers and Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Seth Green on a sketch for the show, in which they play guards at Guantanamo prison.

Chase, who is best known for Saturday Night Live, said: ’I’m so glad at this time that we can bring attention to the whole concept of torture and the idea of ’my god’ being better than yours, the killing of hundreds of thousands of people.

’The idea of going into Iraq, going into a sovereign country, the ethics of Bush doing that is outrageous.

’I hope it comes to an end, but I think we have already gone over the top,’ he said.

’I understand that your top military man has asked for a pull-out.

’I find that to be an unusual and quite an amazing story,’ he said of General Sir Richard Dannatt’s comments.

He said: ’I think that young people are concerned with the situation today in the Middle East.

’They are more politically orientated than you might think. There haven’t been those Vietnam marches like in my generation but there have been other forms of demonstrations.

’I can’t believe the reality of the situation we’re in today. I hope that something as small as The Policeman’s Ball and the gig as it once was will get people’s awareness up.’