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New Delhi: Hours after its request was turned down, the United States on July 14 said it had hoped that India would have decided to send troops to Iraq but its final decision would not impact on bilateral ties.

"As we have said before, this was a decision for the Government of India to make. Our position has been clear on this," a US Embassy spokesman said while reacting to New Delhi's decision turning down Washington's request for troop deployment in the war-ravaged country.

"While we had hoped India would take a different decision, the transformation of US-India relations will continue as before. India remains an important strategic partner for the US," the spokesman said.

Outgoing US Ambassador Robert Blackwill, who had worked hard to convince his Indian interlocutors in the past weeks, had publicly stuck to the line that the decision to send troops had to be taken by the Indian government and that one way or the other it would not impact on bilateral ties.

PTI