New Delhi: Amid warnings of US-led action against Iraq, President Saddam Hussein has
written to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to apprise him of the developing
situation.
The letter is expected to be delivered by Saadun Hammadi, Speaker of the Iraqi
Parliament, who arrived on January 21 to take part in the three-day conference of
Parliamentarians from 85 countries starting January 22.
Besides delivering the letter, he is also expected to have a meeting with External
Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi and other leaders,
Iraqi Ambassador Salah al-Mukhtar said.
India has opposed any unilateral action against Iraq and held that the crisis should
be resolved peacefully and through the United Nations (UN) route.
Outlining New Delhi's approach, Sinha had on January 19 had said, "We strongly
oppose any move by any country, however mighty it is, to remove any regime
anywhere."
India has also stated that Baghdad should fully comply with the UN resolutions. If
this was done then sanctions against Iraq should be lifted in tandem.
Mukhtar contended that the US would need weeks, maybe months to bring its troops.
Till now, they not more than 65,000 soldiers in the region, he said.
In the 1991 war, they had concentrated 7.5 lakh soldiers, 6,000 tanks, 3,000 jet
fighters, 2,000 helicopters and hundreds of cruise missiles. They started the war
after finishing that kind of preparation. "Now, they have no such preparation,"
Mukhtar said.
PTI
