Date:11/04/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/04/11/stories/2003041104481100.htm

National

India 'watching' Iraq situation

By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW DELHI April 10. India believes that the situation in Iraq has not yet crystallised and its "main concern'' is an immediate end to the war and early withdrawal of troops.

The Foreign Office spokesman said that India was closely watching the developments. The situation was "complex'' not only in military terms, but in the management of peace.

In response to questions, he made it clear that India had concerns on the law and order front and wanted the territorial integrity of Iraq to be ensured. He also spoke of the humanitarian needs of the people of Iraq in an ``extremely fluid and evolving situation''.

Asked whether India proposed to close down the Iraq embassy in the capital, the spokesman said the situation was fluid. New Delhi, he said, would watch the developments and take steps according to standard diplomatic practices.

About the status of the Saddam Hussein Government, he said a position would be taken once there was a Government in place. "These are early days. We have to see how things go,''

Asked about the remarks attributed to the Pakistani Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, that Islamabad had closed down a lot of training camps for people fighting in Kashmir, the spokesman said: "We'll have to see what happens on the ground.'' He said that several steps had been taken in the past but ``the more it (the situation) was supposed to change, the more it remained the same''.