Washington, July 02: India's Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal has met with US National Security Advisor Dr Condoleezza Rice and had an "unusually long" meeting with Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz on Tuesday, in which he is believed to have discussed among other things the issue of sending Indian peacekeeping forces to Iraq. He also met with Marc Grossman, Undersecretary of State.
Though details of the parleys were not immediately available, Sibal's visit comes in the context of the US desire to have a division of Indian troops in Iraq. The visit is significant also because it follows the recent decision by President George W Bush to give USD 3 billion aid to Pakistan, half of it military and half economic. India is expected to take a decision on sending troops to Iraq after Sibal's return from the us where he would be discussing issues concerning the mandate of the stabilisation forces, according to informed sources.

Sibal's visit to Washington follows the recent parleys between Indian officials led by National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra and US Assistant Secretary of State Peter Rodman during which clarifications were sought by New Delhi on several points.

Defence minister George Fernandes had yesterday said the government was still awaiting US response on these issues.

Washington has urged India to send at least a division level force or between 18,000 and 20,000 personnel to Iraq, the sources said, adding that there was a strong possibility that they would be stationed in northern Iraq.


Bureau Report