Patna: The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, on December 23 said that India does not favour any punitive military action against Iraq by the US and its allies.

''New Delhi has categorically maintained that only the UN resolution should be implemented with regard to Iraq and anything beyond or outside it will not be acceptable to us,'' Fernandes said reiterating India's position on the US threat of war against Iraq.

He told reporters that the government was not in agreement with the suggestion that Iraq needs to be punished for alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction.

PTI