Robert D Blackwill, the outgoing US ambassador, says India's presence in peacekeeping operations in Iraq would help boost the Indo-US relationship.

Blackwill said he understood India's concerns about being part of a military force in Iraq, but Indian troops would "not combat, and certainly not under the US flag."

"If Indian troops are deployed," Blackwill told India's NDTV news channels, "if they choose to do so under the Indian flag, we have a peacekeeping mission in mind. The latest (UN) Security Council resolution welcomed contributions from countries in the United Nations for Iraq's stabilisation. My own view is that such a positive decision on India's part would assist in the India-US relationship, give us one more dimension on which we can cooperate on."

Discussing the issue of cross-border terrorism, Blackwill said, "The deputy prime minister was very articulate and forceful in his statements about terrorism emanating from Pakistan. What we said is we will do everything we can to try to end terrorism emanating from Pakistan against India permanently. What I would say again is that the entire administration from the President down is determined to do everything to help end terrorism against India. The global war against terrorism will not be won until all terror against India ends permanently."