The US and British "calculations have gone seriously wrong," Sinha said in an exclusive interview with AFP.

"It's not merely in terms of military resistance that the Iraqi army was likely to offer but also the mood of the people of Iraq.

"I don't know on what they had based their calculations but what one knows from experience now of 14 days that it was a serious miscalculation."

Since the military action did not have the sanction of the United Nations and most countries were opposed to it "the only conclusion one can come to is that it is a mistake," he added.

When asked whether India was willing to call for a ceasefire, Sinha said New Delhi was in touch with the United Nations and various governments on the issue.

But he said: "It is not merely a question of exhortation it is also a question of the methodology through which it is done... the only methodology... is with the United Nations Security Council.

"Therefore it is incumbent on the current members of the Security Council to take the initiative and perhaps pass a resolution to bring the hostilities to an end."

But he said that he believed that neither the pro-war countries nor the anti-war lobby had a majority in the Security Council.

India had repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to the Iraq crisis through the United Nations.

SPACE.WIRE