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Pentagon team to discuss Indian troop deployment in Iraq today
New Delhi, June 16: A team of Pentagon officials will hold talks with top Indian government officials on Monday in Delhi over the deployment of Indian troops in Iraq as part of the stabilisation force.
New Delhi, June 16: A team of Pentagon officials will hold talks with top Indian government officials on Monday in Delhi over the deployment of Indian troops in Iraq as part of the stabilisation force.
Washington is keen on deployment of Indian troops in the war-ravaged country, but India has sought certain clarifications on the role of the stabilisation force, the command structure and other related vital issues. The Pentagon team is coming to Delhi for a day to clarify these points and is expected to meet National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra, Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal and some other senior officials.
US ambassador to India Robert Blackwill had said on Friday his country wanted the Indian troops to be perform a non-combat role and that they would operate under their own flag. He also said India's excellent track record in peacekeeping missions and its highly trained and professional troops were the main reasons behind the US request. But he said a "no" from India would not damage relations between the two countries.
Blackwill had clarified that the Pentagon team is not coming with "any specific instructions," and said "it is not coming here to suggest one way or the other." It is learnt the Army is likely to send a contingent of doctors and engineers to Iraq if the political leadership decides so. However, the Army top brass wants the role to be of peacekeeping and not peacemaking. The latter role entails ensuring law and order, which could lead to complications.
The Army also wants to be deployed in an independent zone and not in the proximity of Pakistani troops which could be two brigades (7,000 men) strong. Moreover, the men in uniform have reservations about the proposed non-combat role envisaged for India. US troops are coming under fire in various zones of Iraq regularly and suffering casualties and the political leadership would have to factor in all these ground realities before taking a decision, they maintain.
The decision to send a US defence department team headed by Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs Peter Rodman and comprising officials from the defence and state departments was taken by President George W Bush during an unscheduled meeting he had with Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in Washington last week. The US President had reportedly said the Pentagon team would hold talks with Indian officials to address whatever reservations New Delhi has on contributing its troops to the US-led efforts to stabilise Iraq.
Bureau Report
US ambassador to India Robert Blackwill had said on Friday his country wanted the Indian troops to be perform a non-combat role and that they would operate under their own flag. He also said India's excellent track record in peacekeeping missions and its highly trained and professional troops were the main reasons behind the US request. But he said a "no" from India would not damage relations between the two countries.
Blackwill had clarified that the Pentagon team is not coming with "any specific instructions," and said "it is not coming here to suggest one way or the other." It is learnt the Army is likely to send a contingent of doctors and engineers to Iraq if the political leadership decides so. However, the Army top brass wants the role to be of peacekeeping and not peacemaking. The latter role entails ensuring law and order, which could lead to complications.
The Army also wants to be deployed in an independent zone and not in the proximity of Pakistani troops which could be two brigades (7,000 men) strong. Moreover, the men in uniform have reservations about the proposed non-combat role envisaged for India. US troops are coming under fire in various zones of Iraq regularly and suffering casualties and the political leadership would have to factor in all these ground realities before taking a decision, they maintain.
The decision to send a US defence department team headed by Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs Peter Rodman and comprising officials from the defence and state departments was taken by President George W Bush during an unscheduled meeting he had with Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in Washington last week. The US President had reportedly said the Pentagon team would hold talks with Indian officials to address whatever reservations New Delhi has on contributing its troops to the US-led efforts to stabilise Iraq.
Bureau Report