New Delhi, July 18: Government today termed as "baseless" a news report that the US has asked India to show 1998 guts when it carried out Pokhran nuclear tests, by sending troops to Iraq. "To suggest that Indian troop deployment in Iraq was linked by the us to specific quid pro quos such as progress on trinity issues, reimbursement of cost of troop deployment or recovery of Indian investments in the war-ravaged country is equally baseless and false," external affairs ministry spokesman told reporters in response to a question.
The report had said that Washington's message, which included a string of incentives, was conveyed by senior American officials to foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal during his recent trip to Washington. The foreign ministry here has dismissed reports of US conveying its displeasure over New Delhi's decision not to send troops to Iraq.
The Cabinet Committee on Security last week held that government could consider despatching troops if there was an "explicit UN mandate". UN secretary general Kofi Annan has indicated that he may appeal to member countries to contribute troops, while US Secretary of State Colin Powell has spoken about a fresh UN Security Council resolution on Iraq.
Adopting a wait and watch approach, government has said it was following the "developing circumstances". Bureau Report