On March 20, the then United States President George W Bush announced America’s patently illegal invasion (based on a lie that Saddam Hussein possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, and not sanctioned by the United Nations) of Iraq along with the “coalition of the willing”, which included 48 nations.
American forces were joined by their British, Polish and Australian counterparts—a mistake they would all come to regret.
Since the war, more than 4500 United States soldiers have died, costing the American exchequer an excess of $6 trillion as of June 29, 2016. Add the list of casualties on the coalition side, alongside the thousands wounded, the terrible geopolitical ramifications of the war (rise of ISIS among other things) and millions of Iraqis who lost their lives and livelihoods and it is evident that it was a serious mistake.
Thankfully India had Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the statesman, who rejected America’s request for 20,000 Indian troops on the ground once the occupation of Iraq began. New Delhi knew the invasion and occupation were patently illegal with dangerous ramifications for West Asia.
“It is with the deepest anguish that we have seen reports of the commencement of military action in Iraq,” read the first line of the Ministry of External Affairs’ official response under the NDA-1 government. On April 7, the Parliament passed a
unanimous resolution condemning the invasion.
“Reflecting national sentiment, this House (Lok Sabha) deplores the military action by the coalition forces led by the USA against a sovereign Iraq. This military action, with a view to changing the Government of Iraq, is unacceptable. The resultant suffering of the innocent people of Iraq, especially women and children, is a matter of grave human dimension [sic]. This action without the specific sanction of the UN Security Council and is not in conformity with the UN Charter. The House, therefore, expresses profound anguish and deep sympathy for the people of Iraq,” it said.
However, the US Embassy in the national capital had already begun coordinating serious efforts to change India’s very public position on the war.
There was pressure from the Indian media with major publications like The Indian Express and India Today putting out articles urging the Vajpayee administration to send Indian troops.
In the months following the invasion, Washington had managed to get then Defence Minister George Fernandes, Home Minister LK Advani, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and Army Chief NC Vij onboard for sending Indian troops.
Besides having his senior cabinet ministers whispering in his ear, Vajpayee received regular calls from Bush seeking the involvement of Indian troops.