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Bethnai -> Nuclear double standards (9/20/2008 5:40:12 AM)
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The India-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement is reaching its culmination phase after three years. While India still requires ratification of the 123 Agreement by the US Congress, legally it is now free to enter into nuclear commerce with other members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), such as Russia and France. The consensus approval by the IAEA board of governors on Aug 1 was followed by a consensus waiver by the NSG on Sept 6.
The way the waiver was granted by the NSG has brought into question the legitimacy of the nuclear cartel, which was itself created as a result of India's misuse of civilian nuclear technology for developing nuclear weapons and conducting a nuclear test in 1974. According to Michael Krepon from Stimson Center in Washington, the NSG that required consensus approval for allowing nuclear commerce stands on its head, and "now it will have to be stopped with consensus." According to him, if India resumes testing the chances of termination of nuclear cooperation have been reduced – "because the two biggest beneficiaries of new nuclear deals with India, Russia and France, will want to continue business as usual."
While criticising the NSG waiver, Daryl Kimball from Arms Control Association (ACA) wrote recently, "The decision is a non-proliferation disaster of historic proportions that will produce harm for decades to come."
A realistic analysis of some of the arguments given by the proponents of the nuclear deal suggest that there are no tangible gains for non-proliferation regime and for India's nuclear power generation capacity. The promised foreign fuel supplies for Indian power reactors may increase its power generation capacity from mere 2.7 per cent to maximum of 7-8 per cent, but at the same time it will free up India's limited domestic uranium reserves to be used exclusively for bomb-making. Kimball believes that, "this will lead Pakistan to follow suit and help fuel the South Asian arms race."
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=136853
US pursuing Indian arms deals in return for nuclear 'waiver'
INDIA: THE US is looking to secure defence contracts with India worth billions of dollars in return for its support in helping the country secure a nuclear waiver earlier this month which ends its 34-year-old global isolation while retaining its strategic weapons capability.
US officials have indicated that Washington expects "reciprocity" in weapons purchases and enhanced strategic ties for helping India secure the one-off waiver earlier this month from the Nuclear Suppliers' Group that controls nuclear trade worldwide.
"I would expect our [joint] capacity to move forward in complex areas," said David Mulford, the US ambassador to Delhi, last week. Establishing civil nuclear ties will doubtlessly have a "positive knock-on" effect on defence and related sensitive matters, he added.
"Other than obvious commercial interests, which are important, the US is keen to invest militarily in India which it believes with Washington's help and hardware can emerge as a counterweight to China's growing might," said retired Indian army lieutenant general VK Kapoor.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/0916/1221430251765.html
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