The Iraq track

UN Resolution 1546, adopted unanimously by the Security Council last week, has been welcomed across the world from Indonesia to several Arab states. At one level it marks the failure of the US experiment in unilateralism while, at another, it hopes to nudge international relations back toward multilateralism. By accepting that the US-led multinational force will serve 8220;at the request of the incoming interim government of Iraq8221; the resolution has re-established the principle of Iraqi sovereignty after June 30, even though the realities on the ground imply major limits to that sovereignty.

As External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh stated in Washington, India had refused in the past to send troops to Iraq, but the new resolution represents many changes requiring a review. The central responsibility of the UN is likely to be established once more if the new resolution has to be taken toward its intended goals. A clear timetable for Iraqi transition to democratic government has been spelt out with the formation of the sovereign Interim Government of Iraq to be followed by direct elections by December 31, but not later than January 31, 2005, to elect a transitional government to be followed by a constitutionally elected government by December 31, 2005. A great deal, of course, would depend upon how the expected procedures succeed between now and then. There are many challenges that would need to be addressed before New Delhi can seriously consider making its contribution to assist the Iraqis in Iraq.

But the greatest challenge lies in ensuring that the nuances implicit in Natwar Singh8217;s diplomatic approach to foreign policy issues should not become the victim of ideological fossilisation. The CMP of the Congress-led coalition cannot be the basis of the day-to-day conduct of diplomacy and foreign policy or, for that matter, a vehicle for propagating pet fantasies. In their newly expanded role in national decision making, the UPA8217;s Left allies must understand quickly that for most countries foreign policy is not ideologically driven. It is about the pursuit of national interests. In fact this is just the lesson from the disaster of Bush8217;s Iraq policy where neo-conservative ideology, relying on ideological parameters, was allowed to overtake the objective pursuit of national interests based on realities. It is vital that the issues affecting our Iraq policy now must be objectively understood, discussed and the best way forward adopted in an evolving situation.