Left against Indian role in Iraq elections

At a breakfast meeting with the Left leaders here today, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh discussed the country's foreign policy initiatives and Baghdad's request for training of Iraqi officials in conducting elections by India.

Left leaders told the Prime Minister and the National Security Adviser, JN Dixit, that they were against sending civilians or bureaucrats to Iraq to train Iraqi officials for the forthcoming elections.

The Left, however, agreed that India could train Iraqi officials if they come here as part of a UN initiative.

Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat of the CPI(M), AB Bardhan and D Raja of the CPI, and Abani Roy of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) attended the hour-long meeting. They also discussed the country's ties with Myanmar, situation in Iran and Afghanistan, and Indo-Israeli relations.

Following the Left parties' demand yesterday that the government should voice its support for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar and the release of Aung San Su Kyi, Dixit today briefed the Left about the Prime Minister's recent talks with Myanmarese head of state General Than Shwe.

He said the government had expressed concern over a proposed road link between Myanmar and China and sought clarification whether it was intended for commercial use only.

The meeting also discussed the nature of terrorism and extent of drug trafficking from Myanmar and steps to check it.

They also discussed the proposed gas pipeline between Myanmar and India via Bangladesh. Myanmar has substantial natural gas resources that India could tap into, Left leaders were told.

Dixit said the gas pipeline between India and Iran was being put on the fast track and Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar had been entrusted with monitoring the progress on the project. On the nuclear arms proliferation issue, the government said as long as the nuclear power was used for peaceful purposes it did not have any objections.

With counting going on in Afghanistan, the Left leaders were told that a democratic government would soon be in place in Kabul.

The Left reiterated to the Prime Minister that the government should show disapproval of the recent Israeli attack on Palestinians in Gaza as they had decided in a meeting of the Left parties yesterday.

A senior left leader said that though the Prime Minister did not explicitly take a stand on the issue, " he did not reject our idea either."