Delay in U.S.-India Nuclear Deal May Avoid Dangerous Non-Proliferation Policies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 16, 2007
CONTACT: Travis Sharp, Communications Director, 202-546-0795 ext.123, tsharp AT armscontrolcenter DOT org
Washington, D.C. - The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation noted with optimism recent reports that the U.S.-India nuclear deal may be delayed, thereby avoiding further damage to nuclear non-proliferation efforts.
The Center also urged the U.S. to improve its relationship with India through increased trade and cooperation not involving nuclear materials.
Leonor Tomero, Director for Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the Center, commented: "Although President Bush and Prime Minister Singh have spent much political capital on the deal, the United States should maintain and expand strong relations with India based on close and growing collaboration on agriculture, high-technology, investments, democracy promotion, health and development, renewable energy, and fighting terrorism."
These issues for collaboration were included in the July 18, 2005 joint statement when the nuclear deal was first announced, and will continue to be important and necessary areas of cooperation. The 2005 joint statement is available online.
Tomero added that as the deal faced growing criticism in India, "Questions about India's willingness to comply with the very minimal non-proliferation restrictions required by the U.S. Congress last year, along with India's ties to Iran and that country's uneven non-proliferation record, would have complicated efforts to get the deal approved quickly by American lawmakers as well."
John Isaacs, Executive Director of the Center, remarked: "While the U.S.-India nuclear deal threatened to undermine nuclear non-proliferation efforts, placing it on hold - perhaps permanently - will mean that dangerous changes to long-standing non-proliferation rules applying to countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty may now be moot."
Isaacs continued: "Nuclear non-proliferation efforts may have dodged a bullet. If implemented, this deal would have driven a hole through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which for decades has stood as our first line of defense against nuclear weapons spreading to dozens of countries."
Prime Minister Singh called President Bush yesterday to explain the "operationalization" problems vocalized by political parties in India opposed to the deal based on concern over India preserving independence of action over its foreign policy.
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