THE TIMES OF INDIA      

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2003

Bangladesh says no to sending troops to Iraq

 AP            

DHAKA : Bangladesh said on Monday that a new UN resolution on Iraq does not meet its key condition for sending peacekeeping troops to the war-ravaged nation.

" Bangladesh wants the UN to play a primary role in all the matters of Iraq . And that condition has not been fulfilled in the UN resolution," Foreign Ministry official Shamser Mobin Chowdhury told reporters.

Chowdhury said predominantly Muslim Bangladesh wants other Islamic nations to arrive at a consensus on the Iraq issue.

Last week, the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution giving UN authorisation to a multinational force in Iraq that will be led by the United States in a bid to attract troops from other countries. Several countries have said they will only send troops to Iraq under UN auspices.

The United States has sought to have other nations --  especially moderate Muslim countries such as Bangladesh -- contribute troops for peacekeeping in Iraq .

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