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| It has two basic options and several combinations thereof. One option is to send only non-military assistance. Another is to send only troops. A third is to send nothing now, something later and everything thereafter. There is a fourth option as well: do nothing at all.
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| One must assume that, in spite of the ingrained tendency to follow the last course, the government will not opt for it. India has a special interest in Iraq and it would be foolish to opt out completely.
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| Until now, there was an excellent reason for doing nothing, namely, the absence of a UN umbrella for whatever is to be done there. But now that reason no longer exists, India should be pressing for a role, rather than waiting to be offered one.
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| The main issue here probably concerns domestic politics and public opinion, given the possibility of body bags coming home and reviving memories of the IPKF in Sri Lanka. While the risk exists, it is a slim one so long as Indian troops are positioned in the northern, Kurdish areas, away from the heart of Baathist-support areas.
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| It would help if Mr Vajpayee had an assurance from the Congress that the loss of Indian blood in Iraq will not be converted into a domestic political issue, given the fact that the elections are only a year away.
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| But the issue is not just domestic politics, it is also a matter of international credibility. Mr Vajpayee should consider the impression that has been created in the US so far. First, Mr Rumsfeld was asked to send a letter to George Fernandes, asking for troops, which he did.
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| Then India asked for a UN resolution, incorporating some specific elements. As far as is known, these elements are now there in the Security Council resolution. If India still holds back, the US would be right to accuse India of having looked for excuses all along instead of stating its true position upfront.
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| Certainly, no one will take seriously the rubbish trotted out at the Vajpayee-Bush lunch in New York, that national security concerns now prevent us from sending any troops.
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Meanwhile, the US has made a gesture to Mr Vajpayee by announcing that Dawood Ibrahim is a global terrorist and that he lives in Pakistan. There can be little doubt that the ball is now in India
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