Troops for Iraq only after talks, says govt

The meeting — at which those present included Sinha, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh, National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra and senior Congress leaders Manmohan Singh and Natwar Singh — took place ahead of tomorrow’s arrival in New Delhi of a team of Pentagon officials to hold talks on troop deployment in Iraq.

Afterwards, Natwar Singh said, ‘‘In the discussion, the Government side stated that no decision will be taken to send troops to Iraq until a national consensus is evolved on this question.’’

Sinha, however, refused to comment further on the issue of a national consensus.

Indicating that the Congress was open to suggestions, Natwar Singh said, ‘‘We will wait for the Pentagon officials to brief the Government, and then wait for the Government to take a view and only then finalise our stand on the issue.’’

Natwar Singh also made it clear that it was the Congress’s suggestion to the Government to hold consultations with the Iraq’s neighbours (though the government didn’t name any countries, Iraq is surrounded by Iran, Jordan, Turkey and Kuwait). ‘‘The Congress suggested that the Government should consult other parties and important countries neighbouring Iraq,’’ Singh said.

On why Congress sought a regional consensus on troop deployment, former diplomat J.N. Dixit, currently foreign affairs advisor to Sonia Gandhi, said, ‘‘This is an Asian situation and public opinion is important in not only West Asia, but also in South Asia and South-East Asia.’’

‘‘Regional support, if there is, will increase the efficiency of the US in restoring normalcy to Iraq,’’ he said.

Today’s meeting was called following a letter by Gandhi to Vajpayee on June 4 stating that troops should not be send to Iraq unless under UN command or an authority having UN mandate.

Today, however, the Congress did not refer to the contents of the letter or reiterate its demand. But it is understood that the party leaders sought clarification on the areas in which the troops could be deployed and under whose command.

The Congress is also said to have raised the question on whether the United Nations Security Council resolution 1483, which endorses the coalition powers’ presence in Iraq, would cover a mulitnational stabilisation force in Iraq.

Significantly, Gandhi, in her June 4 letter, had opposed any proposal for sending the Indian troops to Iraq ‘‘under any arrangement other than a UN command or as part of a multi-national peace-keeping force that has the explicit mandate of the UN.’’