Prasanta Kumar Pradhan replies: India and Iraq have enjoyed a very friendly relationship in the past. In the post-war scenario, India is trying to rebuild its ties with Iraq which was interrupted because of the war and instability in the country. India has sent an envoy to Baghdad and full fledged diplomatic ties are now in place. Though high level bilateral visits have not taken place in recent times, visits of officials do happen at regular intervals. Presently, India is deeply engaged in post-war relief and reconstruction activities in Iraq. In response to the UN Secretary General’s urgent appeal, India has committed US$ 20 million to Iraq. Additionally, India has also contributed US$ 10 million towards the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI).

India’s economic engagement with Iraq is also increasing steadily with bilateral trade going up from US$ 7.1 billion in 2007-08 to US$ 19.7 billion in 2011-12. Iraq is also the second largest supplier of oil to India, supplying over 23 million tons of oil in the year 2011-12. As Iraq slowly makes moves towards peace and stability, the prospects for future cooperation in various fields also grows. There is huge scope for both the countries to further enhance their bilateral trade and business ties. Similarly, cooperation in the energy sector is also promising for both India and Iraq. India has offered its help in rebuilding Iraqi institutions as well as providing education and training to Iraqi students and officials. However, there is a long way to go before India and Iraq fully regain their old ties. It is time for both the countries to further engage each other and explore new areas of cooperation for mutual benefit.

Prasanta K. Pradhan replies: Al Qaeda started its activities in Iraq after the American invasion in 2003. Throughout these years, al Qaeda has given a tough fight to the American as well as the Iraqi national forces in charge of the security. Though the US has withdrawn its forces from the country, it has not officially declared the war against terror in Iraq as over. Al Qaeda is far from being extinct in Iraq. It has lost many of its cadres and often looked weak, but has still managed to sustain itself and has undertaken terrorist attacks at frequent intervals. Thus, if one judges the success or failure of the war against terror in Iraq on the basis of sustenance of al Qaeda, and its ability to undertake high impact attacks, then clearly, the US-led war has not been successful so far. But one must understand that war against terror in Iraq is only part of a bigger geo-political canvas and it would take a long time for this war to end.