Rumsfeld arrives

New Delhi has made it clear that it was willing to assist in efforts to install a democratically elected government in Baghdad but would not send its personnel there. It was also open to training Iraqis in India for the January elections there. A batch of 30 Iraqis, in fact, are likely to come here for training.

Though External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh today informed Lok Sabha that no decision had been taken by Washington on supplying F-16s to Pakistan and US has conveyed that a decision is ‘‘not imminent’’, sources said, Washington has given no assurance to this effect. All it has promised is that India will be taken into confidence in case this politically significant deal goes through.

Pentagon has notified the Congress about three proposed arms deals with Pakistan including the supply of eight P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft, 2000 TOW fly-by-wire missiles and six Phalanx systems. The deals will be whetted by two committees in the next 30 days — including the Armed Forces Committee before the final green signal is given.

As reported by The Sunday Express on November 28, US has also offered military hardware to India, including F-16s and the Patriot anti-missile system. Indian Ambassador to US Ronen Sen was here last month to discuss the offer.

All these issues will come up during Rumsfeld’s meetings on Thursday. The US leader is slated to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, besides Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Natwar Singh. A meeting is also being worked out between him and National Security Advisor J.N. Dixit.