(Financial Express-India) - Huma Siddiqui Washington is attempting to use the Israeli Arrow anti-missile system, which New Delhi is very keen on buying, as a handle to pressure the Vajpayee government into sending its troops to Iraq. New Delhi has been urged to provide a division (around 15,000-20,000 troops) that can command a sector in northern Iraq around the city of Mosul. "It would be a major step and mean a lot in terms of Indo-U.S. relations. This is a significant role in Iraq and would make New Delhi one of the major players on the ground," a senior Indian official said. Another issue concerns New Delhi’s interest in purchasing the Arrow anti-missile system, the only operational anti-ballistic missile system. Since this is built by Israel and Boeing, the sale requires U.S. approval.
2003-07-11 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive