June 16, 2003	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1424

NEW DELHI, June 15: The Indian government is to hold consultations with countries in the Middle East over whether it should send troops to Iraq, Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said on Sunday.

His comments came after an hour-long meeting between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, set up to discuss a request from the United States, which is facing growing difficulties in replacing its own occupation troops with an international stabilization force in Iraq.

“Whatever decision will be taken will be taken in the best national interest,” Mr Sinha said.

“The government of India will hold consultations with countries in the region and interested political parties including those in the (federal coalition government) NDA (National Democratic Alliance),” he told reporters after the meeting.

Senior Congress leader K. Natwar Singh said Sonia Gandhi suggested to the prime minister that other national parties and neighbouring countries of Iraq be consulted on the matter.

“In the discussions the government side stated that no decision will be taken to send troops to Iraq until a national consensus is reached on the matter,” he said.

While Mr Vajpayee’s ruling BJP seems to be considering the American request favourably, some opposition groups are vehemently opposed to the idea of Indian soldiers working under US and British command, rather than under the UN flag.

On June 4, Sonia Gandhi wrote to Mr Vajpayee expressing the party’s reservations on the issue and saying the deployment of troops should only be under the office of the UN.

But Congress sources said Sunday that the party was “examining” various aspects related to the proposal and would express its views after the outcome of the visit by a Pentagon team that is coming to India in an attempt to dispel Indian misgivings over contributing troops.

Led by Peter Rodman, Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs, the US team, which arrived in New Delhi on Sunday, will hold talks with senior defence and foreign ministry officials on Monday.

The US envoy to India, Robert Blackwill, last week said that if New Delhi decided to send troops they would not be used in combat operations and would not work under the US flag.

“If Indian troops were deployed they would do so under the Indian flag,” he said.

“We have a peacekeeping mission in mind (for India) and as you know the latest United Nations Security Council resolution welcomed contributions for Iraqi stabiliation,” he said.

Mr Blackwill denied any pressure was being placed on New Delhi to send troops and said if India decided not to do so, it would not damage bilateral relations.

Last week, deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani, while on a visit to the United States, hit out at opponents of the move.

“The opposition, without all the facts, gave their one-sided opinion that sending troops to Iraq is wrong,” Mr Advani said.

“They are entitled to their views. But the government of India will take its decision based on national interest,” he said after meetings with US leaders, including President George Bush and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in Washington.

Mr Advani reportedly made it clear during his visit that India wanted to see US pressure applied on Pakistan to end what New Delhi terms “cross-border terrorism” before it will decide on whether to agree to troop deployment in Iraq.

Mr Bush assured the Indian leader that he would persuade President Musharraf to address India’s concerns when he holds talks with him on June 24, during the president’s visit to Washington.—AFP