The Hindu : `19 to 20 countries' likely to join peacekeeping operations: Blair

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 26, 2003

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International

`19 to 20 countries' likely to join peacekeeping operations: Blair

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON JUNE 25. Speculation over the possibility of India sending troops to Iraq heightened today after the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, told the Commons that in the next few weeks "19 to 20" countries were expected to join peacekeeping operations in the region.

His remarks came a week after his meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, at which the issue was raised against the background of mounting pressure on India from Washington to agree to a peacekeeping role in Iraq. Mr. Blair did not name the countries but twice mentioned the figure "19 to 20" and indicated that contributions from these countries would add up to several thousand troops and relieve the pressure on British and U.S. forces.

Mr. Blair said that all those countries represented on the U.N. Security Council would "like" to play a role, and he was hopeful that there would be a "good response" from other countries, especially after the recent U.N. resolution on the role of the international community in rebuilding Iraq. He was likely to take up the issue with the visiting Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

Mr. Blair's statement came as pressure grew on his Government to push for "internationalising" peacekeeping in Iraq in the wake of the growing resentment against British and U.S. troops which, on Tuesday, resulted in the death of six British soldiers apparently after a clash with Iraqi civilians. Mr. Blair rejected calls for pulling out troops but hoped that it might be possible to reduce their numbers once other countries joined the coalition forces.

Several Labour MPs called for a U.N.-backed international force to be sent to Iraq in view of the growing attacks on British and U.S. forces which were being increasingly seen by Iraqis as an "army of occupation, not liberation". "Isn't it time, the whole world came together to do something about security? If we are serious about helping the Iraqi people we have to get the U.N. involved because clearly there is hostility to the coalition," a Left-wing Labour MP, Alice Mahon, said.

Mr. Blair refused to spell out an "exit strategy" saying that any such strategy had to be based on "our pledge" to rebuild Iraq as a "democratic" and "prosperous" country. He admitted that the security situation in the country was still "serious" but claimed that there had been a great deal of improvement as a result of the work done by British and U.S. forces.

He said the circumstances surrounding the death of the six British soldiers in southern Iraq were expected to become clearer in the next 24 hours but made clear that the incident would have no effect on Britain's "resolve" to remain engaged in the reconstruction of Iraq. He echoed the Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon's statement that the coalition forces would "not be deflected from their efforts by the enemies of peace".

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