NEW DELHI, June 11: In the clearest indication yet that New Delhi is favourably considering a US request that it deploy troops to Iraq, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani on Wednesday hit out at opponents of the move, saying they are uninformed.

“The opposition, without all the facts, gave their one-sided opinion that sending troops to Iraq is wrong,” Mr Advani told a news channel in an interview.

“They are entitled to their views. But the government of India will take its decision based on national interest,” said Mr Advani, who is on a visit to Washington.

The Congress party is vehemently opposed to the deployment of Indian troops in Iraq as part of a stabilization force as they will fall under US and British command, rather than under the flag of the United Nations.

Reports in New Delhi on Wednesday said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was to discuss the issue with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Sunday, a day before a team from the Pentagon is due in New Delhi to dispel Indian misgivings over contributing troops to the US-led effort to stabilize Iraq.

The reports also said Mr Advani had made it clear to US leaders that New Delhi wants to see US pressure being brought on Islamabad to end what it terms “cross-border terrorism” before it will decide about Washington’s request for troops.

“While the US is pressing India to join policing in Iraq, New Delhi is demanding that Washington persuade President Pervez Musharraf to take concrete steps to end cross-border infiltration and dismantle the terrorist network in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” the Indian Express said.

“Neither has said ‘no’ to the other, but India is clearly buying time,” it added.

US President George Bush assured Mr Advani on Monday that he would persuade President Musharraf to address India’s concerns when he holds talks with him on June 24, the paper said.—AFP