OH, THIS IS RICH.

This from the same people who brought us unbridled looting and shooting.

Leading Iraqis have denounced proposals to deploy Indian peace keepers in their country, saying Iraqis alone should be responsible for their security.

The Iraqi reactions follow continuing political and military tensions within the country, which has been occupied by US and British troops and a small Polish contingent since the end of April...

Back in New Delhi the Pentagon proposal has been rejected by opposition politicians, notably Congress foreign affairs expert K Natwar Singh, who believes that sending Indian troops to Iraq without a UN mandate would be a mistake.

Iraqis who agree with him include Dr Hamid Bayati of the Iranian-backed Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. "I don't know why they should ask India," Bayati told rediff.com. "It surprises me. Perhaps the Americans think it will relieve the pressure on them, but the pressure will then be applied to the Indians.

"I don't know what the Americans are up to, but they are acting as occupying forces. It's not going to be acceptable to Iraq or any other country in the region. If the Indians went in under a UN flag that would be very reasonable, otherwise they would be very vulnerable."

Bayati, who is currently touring Europe, said only the Iraqis themselves know how to tackle their security needs.

He cites the example of Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, where the two main Kurdish political parties have successfully maintained stability and prosperity since 1991.

If the Kurdish model of government was applied across the rest of the country, stability would follow, he argued.

"Only the Iraqi's themselves know how to tackle their security needs"?

Nice sentiment. Then presumably the Iraqis themselves would know how to tackle their stay-free-of-radiation-needs by not stealing storage barrels from a nuclear site. Or tackle their electrical needs by not sabotaging their electrical grid. Ditto their oil and gas pipelines.

Sheesh.

And let's not be too quick to hold up the Kurds as the shining star example. First of all, they are Kurds. They have never been in dominance in this cobbled together country. But they have been bound together by two things.

1. They are Kurds, not Shia or Sunni. As in the lesser of my two enemies is my friend.

2. Their very existence was threatened by Saddam Hussein until the US stepped in wth the northen no fly zone. When one's survival is in question it is easy to suspend the (relatively) petty political differences.

Yeah, I'm being selfish here...bring in the Indians. Bring in all who will come.

Perhaps CPT Patti comes home sooner as a result.

Read it all here.