Iraq on Monday sought more active participation of India in efforts to rebuild the war-torn country, specifically in areas such as construction, IT and oil explorations.
"We want India to be more active. We have to promote the level of cooperation today for a better tomorrow. This is for the benefit of two sides," Muayad S Hussain, Charge'd Affairs at the Iraq embassy in New Delhi, told PTI.
Seeking India's cooperation in all areas, especially in construction, IT and oil explorations, he said, "Indian labour will also be welcome once India sets up huge projects in Iraq in near-future."
Whether consideration of Saddam Hussein by India as a 'friend' during his regime disappointed the democratic forces in Iraq, he declined to respond, but said 'we had no democracy in the past. We have just started democracy.' He also refused to accept that the current situation in Iraq reflected a 'civil war,' or even what US President George W Bush prefers to call 'sectarian violence.'
Asked about post-Saddam position of Iraq on Kashmir, he said: "Iraq is looking to this problem (Kashmir) as one between India and Pakistan. It does not like to interfere in this subject. Iraq encourages both countries to solve this problem over negotiations."
Hussain, who is current head of the Iraqi mission to India, said: "Iraq rejects any interference in internal matters of countries. This is our policy and that is why we encourage all nations to solve their problems through peaceful means."
Being the largest democracy in the world, it was the duty of India, he added, to support democracies.
Refusing to recognise the current bloodbath in Iraq as civil war, the Charge'd Affairs said: "There is no civil war in Iraq. This civil war has never happened. We cannot say that this is sectarian violence. Sunnis are not fighting Shias and Shias are not fighting Sunnis. These are terrorist attacks," he added.
Some outside groups, Hussain said, were encouraging some people inside Iraq in order to make the people fight.
The usage of the term 'civil war' to describe escalating sectarian violence in Iraq has been a subject of controversy with White House repeatedly refraining from using it, and asking media groups to do the same. However, lately, some prominent media groups namely The Times and NBC have started using the term.
Expressing optimism, Hussain said: "It is a matter of time before we overcome this situation. The situation now is better than a week back and I am hopeful that the situation will be much better than one month hence."
