WASHINGTON, July 18: A joint Indo-US working group meets in Washington on Aug 4, to discuss India’s participation in an international peace force for Iraq, diplomatic sources told Dawn on Friday.

Although India formally informed Washington last week that it would not send troops to Iraq, the Bush administration is hopeful about persuading New Delhi to change its position.

US officials believe that India’s participation would make such a force more acceptable to the Iraqis who see India as a friendly country which enjoyed good relations with the Saddam government.

The diplomatic sources in Washington say the United States is now trying to woo India by expediting military sales to New Delhi under a bilateral defence cooperation programme. The arrangement allows India to buy sophisticated military equipment, gear for its special forces, P3 Orion Maritime Patrol aircraft and the technology for protecting its nuclear weapons.

India also has kept the doors open by saying that although it is not willing to send its troops under the US and British command, it could reconsider its decision if the troops were sent under an explicit UN mandate.

US officials are now trying to get such a mandate which would allow India and Muslim countries to contribute peacekeepers and thereby possibly reduce the attrition rate against the coalition troops.

Also on Friday, the Pentagon issued a report prepared by a team of experts, advising the Bush administration that if Iraqis do not see progress on delivering security, basic services, political involvement and economic activity, the security situation may worsen and US efforts and credibility will falter.

The team urged Washington to “quickly mobilize and broaden a new reconstruction coalition that includes countries and organizations beyond the original war fighting coalition”.