Patna: Deprecating any unilateral military action against Iraq, India on January 19
strongly opposed removal of Saddam Hussein under any external pressure and advocated
a peaceful resolution to the US-Iraq stand-off under the UN charter.
''We strongly oppose any move by any country, however mighty it is, to remove any
regime anywhere....it is no country's responsibility and it is beyond any country's
authority to change any regime anywhere,'' External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha
told reporters while replying to a volley of questions on the US military build-up
for a possible strike on Iraq.
He, however, said that the world community expected Iraq to co-operate with UN
inspectors looking for weapons of mass destruction.
If at all a military action has to be taken against Iraq, it should be under the
aegis of the UN, and the US or its other allies should desist from a direct attack
on that country, he said.
''We want a peaceful resolution of the crisis,'' he said while parrying a question
whether India would oppose any strike against Iraq carried out with the UN
sanction.
Asked about his comments on the US military build-up against Iraq, Sinha evaded a
direct reply, saying the US troops were stationed in several countries in the Gulf
region with their sanction.
PTI
