The
Polit
Bureau
of
the
Communist
Party
of
India
(Marxist)
has
issued
the
following
statement:
Foreign
Minister,
Natwar
Singh,
addressing
a
joint
press
conference
with
the
US
Secretary
of
State,
Colin
Powell,
is
reported
to
have
said
that
the
situation
in
Iraq
has
changed.
He
has
cited
the
latest
UN
Security
Council
resolution
on
Iraq
as
another
reason
for
reexamining
the
question
of
sending
Indian
troops
to
Iraq.
The
Polit
Bureau
of
the
CPI(M)
wishes
to
assert
that
there
is
no
change
in
the
situation
in
Iraq
whatsoever.
Iraq
has
been
under
American
occupation
for
the
last
fourteen
months.
There
is
a
popular
uprising
against
the
brutal
occupation.
The
latest
UN
Security
Council
resolution
has
approved
the
setting
up
of
an
interim
government
in
Iraq
by
June
30.
It
has
also
approved
the
continuance
of
a
multinational
force
under
US
command.
As
far
as
the
interim
government
is
concerned,
it
is
handpicked
by
the
US
authorities.
In
fact,
the
Prime
Minister
appointee
has
himself
admitted
that
he
has
a
longstanding
relationship
with
the
CIA.
The
people
of
Iraq
have
had
no
say
whatsoever
in
constituting
the
interim
government.
It
is
nothing
but
a
creature
of
the
US
occupation.
The
Security
Council
resolution
for
the
stationing
of
a
multinational
force
in
Iraq
till
2006
does
not
mean
there
will
be
a
UN
peace-keeping
force.
The
138,000
US
troops
will
continue
to
remain
alongwith
a
small
force
from
its
allies
as
the
so-called
multinational
force.
France,
Germany,
Russia
and
Canada
have
announced
they
will
not
send
troops.
The
Indian
Foreign
Minister’s
ambiguous
remarks
in
Washington
must
be
clarified.
The
Manmohan
Singh
government
must
make
it
clear
that
there
is
no
question
of
sending
Indian
troops
to
Iraq
to
bolster
the
American
occupation.