The US and Iraq may well mull over their military strategies in the few hours that remain before the 48-hour deadline imposed by President Bush expires 2000 hours on Wednesday. But for about 30 Indians in Iraq, the war at their doorstep has not deterred them from business as usual.

While 12 of the 30 are businessmen spread across Iraq, the rest are charity workers, students and scholars associated with the Food-for-Oil program, mostly in the Karbala area. Of these, three are nuns from the order founded by Mother Teresa -- the Missionaries of Charity -- in Kolkata. Four students have agreed to stay on in the holy city of Najaf.

A few Indians are also leaving for Iraq to 'act as human shields,' Suhail Rokadia said in a report released on Tuesday

'We are fully aware of the consequences. We are even carrying the (funeral) shrouds with us,' said Rokadia, secretary of the Raza Academy, a socio-religious organization based in Mumbai.

Rokadia is part of a team of 11 Indians aged between 30 and 60. The group consists mostly of Islamic scholars with a few businessmen enraged at what they feel is the unnecessary killing of innocent Iraqis for the sake of America's oil ambitions. 'It's for a good cause, it's for humanity,' Rokadia said.

According to Indian government spokesman Navtej Sarna, a control room has been set up at the external affairs ministry in New Delhi to render assistance to Indian nationals in the region.

Visitors to Iraq need to undertake an eight-hour road journey to Jordan's capital city Amman as UN sanctions have disrupted flights to and from Baghdad.