United Nations: Strongly urging UN Security Council to unite to ensure a stable
future for Iraqi people, India has termed the US-led military action against the
Saddam Hussein regime as "unjustified" and called for all possible efforts to
bring "hostilities" to an early end.
"One can have differences over the necessity of war, but one cannot have differences
about the urgent need to restore peace," India's UN Ambassador Vijay K Nambiar said
during the first Council debate on Iraq since the war began.
He said the main focus of the Council should have been to secure Iraq's co-operation
with weapons inspection regime and its compliance with all Council resolutions.
"That, unfortunately, did not happen. As it is, we are now presented with a
situation where some members have decided to proceed unilaterally," he said,
stressing the need to work for "ending hostilities and bringing peace".
India, Nambiar told the Council, is prepared fully to participate in the
reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts of Iraq and its people, which
would "inevitably be required as a result of the current conflict".
It would also support any efforts designed to provide relief to the civilian
population of Basra and other parts of the country in need for urgent assistance, he
said.
"Our long-standing friendship with the people of Iraq would demand nothing less of
us: we would be happy to discharge our duty to share this burden," he said.
Nambiar also stressed the need for maintaining sovereignty and integrity of the
country, preserving its secular traditions and ensuring that Iraqis exercise full
control over their natural resources.
Pointing out that India had received the reports of commencement of the "unjustified
and avoidable" military action with the "deepest of anguish", Nambiar asked all
parties to meet their obligations towards civilians under the international
humanitarian law.
Emphasizing that integrity of Iraq must be preserved, he said, "Sectarian and ethnic
conflicts should not be allowed to divide the country. The right of the people to
determine their political future and exercise control over their natural resources
should be fully respected."
Nambiar also expressed concern over the "lives involved – Iraqi and others" as also
about refugee flows.
Referring to the 'oil-for-food' programme, which the Council is trying to modify to
meet the reality on the ground, he said approved contracts for supplies to Iraq
would be logical priority for delivering immediate assistance to the Iraqi people.
His remarks are in the context of Secretary General Kofi Annan seeking the Council
authorisation to prioritise delivery of supplies and renegotiate contracts to Iraq.
The international community, Nambiar said, must quickly get involved in restoring
peace in Iraq, in the eventual reconstruction of the country and in alleviating the
plight of long suffering people.
"We urge the Council to display the required unity and collective will to be able to
assist the Iraqi people in this endeavour," he said.
PTI
