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'U.S. still in touch on troops issue'

WASHINGTON JULY 26. The United States is still in touch with India on sending its troops to Iraq because New Delhi has not said a "flat no" to deploying its forces in the war-ravaged country, according to the U.S. Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.

At a U.S. Department of Defence briefing here, he said: "We have been talking to the Indians, the Pakistanis, the Turks, the Bangladeshis, and any number of other countries and I anticipate we will continue to get more international (support)".

Mr. Rumsfeld's comments came close on the heels of the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, conveying to the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, that Washington was considering seeking the passage of a fresh resolution in the U.N. Security Council, which might facilitate India to reconsider its decision.

The Indian Cabinet Committee on Security had on July 14 turned down a U.S. request to send Indian troops to Iraq to join the stabilisation force. India said it could consider the request if there was an explicit mandate for sending troops to Iraq.

Ambassador Paul Bremer, U.S. Presidential Envoy to Iraq, who was also present at the briefing, said the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq had troops from 19 countries. "We are in talks with another dozen about providing troops."

On his talks with Indian officials in Baghdad some three weeks ago on the possibility of Indian troops joining the coalition forces, Mr. Bremer did not give a direct reply and said New Delhi was capable of speaking for itself on this issue.

UNI

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