The Hindu : India 'studying' U.N. resolution

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 24, 2003

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India 'studying' U.N. resolution

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI May 23. India is studying the United Nations' Security Council Resolution 1483, according to the Foreign Office spokesman. He was asked whether the NDA Government would send troops to Iraq.

He said he did not have a "specific response" to questions on deployment of Indian military personnel under a non-United Nations command. However, India welcomed the adoption of the new resolution since the long-suffering people of Iraq deserved all help. His remarks about the absence of a "specific response" and that the Government was studying the resolution suggest that a certain thinking is going on within the Government about whether or not to commit troops to Iraq. As far as the Security Council resolution itself is concerned, it is quite clear that no troops can be sent as of now under the U.N. flag, but under the "authority" of the "occupying powers" — the United States and Britain.

The preamble to the resolution says: "Welcoming further the willingness of member-States to contribute to stability and security in Iraq by contributing personnel, equipment, and other resources under the Authority..." So, if troops are to be sent under the current resolution, they will not be a "blue helmet" United Nations peacekeeping force, but a private arrangement under the "authority" recognised by the Security Council.

Also, the unanimous resolution passed by Parliament should set the tone for Government policy on Iraq — it would be rather strange for the troops to be sent outside the U.N. framework after both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha described the American-led military action in Iraq as "unacceptable" and called for a speedy withdrawal of the coalition forces.

On the adoption of resolution 1483, the spokesman said this showed that despite differences on the issue of war, all members of the Security Council had "come together on post-war issues". It also reaffirmed the principles important to India — reiterating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, the right of the Iraqi people to freely determine their political future and control their natural resources.

``Further, there is now to an extent an internationally accepted road map for rebuilding and reconstruction activities in Iraq. We also welcome the elements in the resolution which recognise that it is for the Iraqi people to determine their political future after an interim period and with the involvement of the U.N. Secretary-General's representative," the spokesman said.

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