New Delhi, July 29: Describing the situation in Iraq as "complex and very challenging", the visiting chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers today said his talks here were not linked to encourage India to send troops to stabilise the war-ravaged country. Asserting that US would militarily overcome resistance in Iraq, Myers said the decision to send troops to Iraq would be of individual nations, but at the same time said that 34 countries were joining the stabilisation force in Iraq.
Addressing a press conference, he also discounted any move by US to ask India to send troops to join the international peace-keeping force in Afghanistan and declared that his current visit had been scheduled three months ago and was aimed at boosting military to military cooperation between the two countries.

Myers is the first top most US official to visit India, weeks after it turned down a proposal to send troops to Iraq.
During his visit he would hold intensive negotiations with national security advisor Brajesh Mishra and top defence officials, including chairman of the chief of staffs committee admiral Madhvendera Singh.
Myers would also hold talks with the Army Chief Gen NC Vij and the new Defence Secretary Ajay Prasad who is also the co-chairman of the Indo-US Defence Policy Group (DPG).
Besides, military-to-military interaction, India is likely to ask the US for an institutional tie-up to enable it to interact with US Central Command besides the Hawai-based Pacific Command.
New Delhi's request for such a tie-up would be logical if India is to send troops to Iraq which falls under the American Central Command and also oversees US interests in Gulf, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.
Bureau Report