India worried about fallout of Iraq war, says Sinha

NEW DELHI: The stiff resistance from the Iraqis has not surprised the Indian government, which says India''s concerns are not just about the economic, strategic and political fallout but also about how it will affect future international behaviour.
Defending the government''s stand on Iraq in an interview with the Times of India, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said that the stand taken by India now was no different to what it had said earlier in response to the invasion of Kuwait or the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Sinha claimed the only real difference was that of language where the government had chosen to respond diplomatically.
Asked whether the turn of events in Iraq had surprised the Indian government Sinha said ``some of us who had made the assessment and knew about the mood of the Iraqi people and the capabilities of the Iraqi army are not surprised''''.
Asked whether India''s primary concerns about the fallout of the conflict were economic, strategic or fears of the violence spreading elsewhere, Sinha said ``it is all that and perhaps more.'''' Any prolonged conflict would impact adversely on India''s economic situation, damage the cultural civilisational heritage of the area (the region). ``India was concerned at the humanitarian aspect of the conflict'''', Sinha said, adding ``I suppose equally importantly we are concerned at how this whole thing is going to effect future international behaviour and that is where the international community needs to put its heads together and think about the future.''''
``In this particular case, as in the past, the UN may not have been able to prevent a military conflict, but we would like the UN to have a major role in the post-war arrangements in Iraq.'''' There was the humanitarian aspect, ``the dispensation which takes over in Iraq, the right of the people of Iraq to choose their own government and be the masters of their own natural resources, and quick reconstruction and repair of the war damage.''''
Responding to a question on the remarks of the Samata Party spokesperson on government''s Iraq policy, he said ``the Samata Party spokesperson is somewhat ill-informed about the functioning of the government''''.