Zebari: Unwelcome?

New Delhi, Feb. 4: A proposed visit by the Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari to India later this month appears to have put the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in a spot.

This will be the first visit by a senior leader from Baghdad to Delhi after the governing council was set up in Iraq after the US-initiated war that overthrew the Saddam Hussein regime last year.

Zebari’s visit, slated for February 24-26, would normally have given the Indian leadership a chance to renew its contacts with Iraq, which is strategically important for Delhi.

But the Iraqi foreign minister is coming here to rally support of key countries for the new Baghdad regime, which most nations regard as lacking legitimacy since it has been propped up by the US.

Officially, South Block has not denied the visit; but it is not highlighting it either. Foreign ministry sources said the invitation to Zebari was extended last year. Though end-February dates had been finalised by the two countries, there has been no re-confirmation from Baghdad in recent weeks about the visit.

Delhi may not be too unhappy if Zebari calls off his visit. The ruling National Democratic Alliance is worried how the visit will be viewed in India on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections.

The NDA government had taken the moral high ground by not sending troops to Iraq, despite several requests from Washington to help its effort to stabilise the war-ravaged country.

Sensing the popular mood against the US-led war, Vajpayee convinced his cabinet colleagues that sending troops to Iraq would be counter-productive.

But having greatly disappointed the Americans, India was also exploring ways to stage a comeback in Iraq, especially in its reconstruction.

The invitation to Zebari was also extended at a time when the NDA government was scheduled to have elections later in the year and not early.

Having taken a decision to bring forward the Lok Sabha elections, the Vajpayee government is not quite sure how the Iraqi foreign minister’s visit will be regarded in the country.

The foreign minister is scheduled to meet Indian leaders, including the Prime Minister and foreign minister Yashwant Sinha, on February 25, the second day of his three-day visit.

Zebari, a Kurd, is one of the key members in the new regime and has participated in all crucial negotiations that Baghdad has had in recent months with key international figures.

His main aim will be to enlist the support of Indian leaders for the new regime and find out how Delhi, which has had close links with Iraq for many years, views the fast-paced developments there.

If the visit does take place, Indian leaders are likely to state Delhi’s declared position on support for Iraq’s sovereignty without committing to anything that could become controversial. The more so since elections are round the corner.

The visit would also give the government a chance to assess how soon elections can be held in Iraq and how things are likely to pan out there in coming months.