International   

Qazi's appointment linked to Pakistani troops?

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JULY 14. The Pakistani establishment is not exactly celebrating the appointment of its U.S. Ambassador, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, as the United Nations Special Envoy in Iraq by the U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

The military top brass is conscious of the reality that with its man at the helm of affairs there, it could no longer resist the long-standing demand of the U.S. for lending its troops to Iraq.

This is likely to be one of the major topics of discussion between the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, and his Pakistani interlocutors.

Before the so-called transfer of power to the interim Iraqi Government, the U.S. made an unusual request to Islamabad to send troops to Iraq to guard the United Nations mission when it is established.

Now that Mr. Qazi would be presiding over the United Nations operations when they re-commence, Pakistan would have to give its nod to the request made by Americans to send troops to Iraq to provide protection for the U.N. missions and personnel.

There were no explanations either from Washington or Islamabad as to why the U.N. and the U.S. requested Pakistan to send troops.

There were several red faces in the Foreign Office when journalists wanted to know why the U.S. had made the made the request on behalf of the U.N.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• `Weapons intelligence was stretched'
• The most lethal attack in Baghdad
• Optimism over AIDS vaccine trial
• Saudi children `taught to disparage infidels'
• Terror attacks feared; seven held in Bahrain
• Qazi's appointment linked to Pakistani troops?
• Osama aide surrenders
• Rome-Berlin row over refugees
• Anwar rushed to hospital
• E.U. nations' move illegal: court
• New twist to anti-Semitic attack
• `Kerry will continue good ties with India'

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu