I sincerely hope that Kasuri was not serious when he said the other day that the government was considering sending troops to Iraq under the UN peace keeping mission. Could someone please enlighten me what did he mean by it.
What will be exact role of our troops there? Will they fight the so-called Iraqi terrorists killing them and getting killed in the process? Will there be any separate command for the UN troops or will these be placed under the command of the US army commanders, which is most likely to be the case?
It is indeed strange when others are pulling out of Iraq we are jumping into the inferno. If we cannot withstand external pressures and must send troops then these should be for the reconstruction of Iraq, comprising engineers, signallers, medics and para-medics, logisticians from the services corps (supplies) and ordnance, rather than for 'peace keeping' there requiring fighting troops from infantry, artillery and armoured corps.
Who-so-ever is advising the President on this matter is doing great damage to him and his popularity in Pakistan and in the Islamic World, particularly Iraq. Sending troops to Iraq will provide the rightists with yet another longer and stronger whip to flog the President.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2004

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