Russia, India Oppose Unilateral Action Against Iraq](http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=1849570) Reuters Dec 4, 2002
Russian President Vladimir Putin(L) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee as Indian President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam looks on in New Delhi, December 4, 2002. Russia and India warned the US against any unilateral action against Iraq over weapons inspections. Putin and Vajpayee issued a wide-ranging joint declaration following summit talks that urged continued efforts to encourage Iraq to cooperate with international inspectors searching for weapons of mass destruction.
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**‘India against strike against Iraq’ **](http://www.mid-day.com/news/nation/2002/december/39830.htm) Mid-Day Mumbai News
December 23,2002
Patna: Defence Minister George Fernandes today said India does not favour any punitive military action against Iraq by the US and its allies. ‘‘New Delhi has categorically maintained that only the UN resolution should be implemented with regard to Iraq and anything beyond or outside it will not be acceptable to us,’’ Fernandes said.
He told reporters the Indian government did not agree with the suggestion that Iraq needs to be punished for alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction.
It seems India is one of the most outspoken countries in Asia against war.
India disfavours unilateral military action against Iraq](Zee News: Latest News, Live Breaking News, Today News, India Political News Updates) Zee News, India
Patna, Jan 19: Deprecating any unilateral military action against Iraq, India today strongly opposed removal of Saddam Hussein under any external pressure and advocated a peaceful resolution to the Us-Iraq standoff under the UN Charter.
‘‘We strongly oppose any move by any country, however mighty it is, to remove any regime anywhere. It is no country’s responsibility and it is beyond any country’s authority to change any regime anywhere,’’ external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha told reporters here when replying to questions on the us military build-up for a possible strike on Iraq. If at all military action has to be taken against Iraq, it should be under the aegis of the UN and the US or its other allies should desist from a direct attack on that country, he said.
Sinha, however, said that the world community expected Iraq to cooperate with u n inspectors looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction.
‘‘We want a peaceful resolution of the crisis,’’ he said while parrying a question whether India would oppose any strike against Iraq carried out with UN sanction.
Asked about his comments on the US military build-up, Sinha evaded a direct reply, saying the US troops were stationed in several countries in the Gulf region with their sanction.
