Posted on 03/05/2006 11:09:19 AM PST by INDIAN_REPUBLICAN
WASHINGTON, FRIDAY 03: US critics accused President George W Bush on Thursday of selling out weapons non-proliferation goals in order to close a landmark nuclear deal with New Delhi, hardening battle lines as the US Congress prepares to debate its fate.
Congress and the 44-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group must both approve the agreement, which would allow India, after three decades of pariah status, access to billions of dollars in US and other foreign atomic technology and fuel to meet its soaring energy needs. Although many US lawmakers favor closer ties with the world's largest democracy, non-proliferation advocates said details that had so far emerged suggest Bush gave away too much in the nuclear agreement in an effort to ensure a successful summit with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
Democratic Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts said the accord "undermines the security not only of the United States, but of the rest of the world."
"With one simple move the president has blown a hole in the nuclear rules that the entire world has been playing by and broken his own word to assure that we will not ship nuclear technology to India without the proper safeguards," said Markey, co-chair of the bi-partisan task force on non-proliferation. Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association faulted the White House for a "rush to meet artificial deadlines (that) sold out core non-proliferation values" in favor of a deal that would "implicitly endorse, if not indirectly assist, the further growth of India's nuclear arsenal."
Until Thursday's deal, Washington and New Delhi were divided on how India will separate its military and civilian nuclear plants, opening the latter to international inspections as a hedge against weapons proliferation.
Officials said India agreed to list 14 of its 22 reactors as civilian and open them to international inspection.
But experts said the fast-breeder reactors - a major sticking point in negotiations - appeared to be exempt, or at most inspections would be at India's discretion, and many more facilities - research reactors, reprocessing facilities and spent fuel stockpiles - also look to be excluded from safeguards.
"It's a sweetheart deal for India ... The administration told Congress the agreement would be about the growth of India's electricity and not the growth of Indian bomb making potential and that standard clearly has not been met," said Michael Krepon of the Henry L Stimson Center.
Rep. Ed Royce of California, chairman of the House subcommittee on international terrorism and non-proliferation and a member of Bush's Republican party, said there is enthusiastic support in Congress for growing Indo-US ties.
"However, the Indio-US agreement on civil nuclear cooperation has implications beyond Indo-US relations. In this process, the goal of curbing nuclear proliferation should be paramount. Congress will continue its careful consideration of this far-reaching agreement," Royce said.
Bush, at a news conference, acknowledged the agreement will be difficult to sell to Congress but was confident he could defend it as being in US interests.
Ron Somers, president of the Indo-US Business Council, which is leading a lobbying campaign on behalf of the nuclear agreement, said by telephone from New Delhi there is no question Congress supports deepening ties with India. But asked whether the deal can win legislative approval, he said "we must succeed. This is too important not to succeed."
These idiotic liberal democrats are only one stone's throw away from Communists, since they are pretty much socialists anyway.
At least the Republican party sees the world in black and white, good and evil - and they recognize that their primary competitor for world hegemony is none other than Communist China - the US needs India (and India needs the US) as a counterweight to China's inevitable growth as a global superpower (although they won't admit it due to pride). This is due in great part to undo the massive national security damage done to the US during the Democratic Clintonian days during the 1990s when China got all of our ICBM technology through specially designed "leaks" in the Clinton Administration (Sandy Berger, Albright, etc).
I do not see Edward Markey's reaction as a surprise at all - the same party that gave us affirmative action (which undermines any recognition of black intellectual ingenuity and prowess), the same party advocating socialized medicine and welfare benefits even for people who are completely able to work, the same party which brands alcoholism and drug abuse as illnesses needing treatment rather than signs of a weak character, the same party that uses racial and sexual divisions to garner votes, the same party that aided in the transmission of U.S. ICBM technology to Communist China in the 1990s under Clinton, the same party that elected Clinton with the help of the Lippo Bank, an Indonesian based bank with the only branch in Arkansas and flush with illicit cash from Communist China (see John Huang), etc.
Is there any doubt that Ed Markey, an architect of the most left wing sect of the Democratic Party, who is in bed with Communist China, would oppose the burgeoning US-India relationship which can only weaken Communist China's position in the world vis-a-via the United States and India, twin beacons of freedom, progress, and democracy?
Anyone that is against the US-India partnership is one of 2 things, or both: (1) pro-Communist; or (2) pro-Islamic Fundamentalist.
This is exactly why I am a Republican. They may not be perfect, but at least they are transparent, clear, and long term visioned with regards to where they stand with both Communist China and Democratic India, amongst other things.
The Republicans also respect strength, something which India is finally beginning to show in glaring amounts.
Interesting article...I wonder if the Ron Somers mentioned in the article is the same guy who used to head Cogentrix's operations in India.
Very well said. The "Critics" are lunatic hysterics who demonstrate NO understanding. The PROGRAM EXISTS. India HAS nuclear weapons. India is making concessions to JOIN the International Regulatory system. It is a GOOD thing, NOT a DANGEROUS thing. This knee jerk Xenephobia and ignorance for basic facts is sickening.
Welcome to Free Republic.
With the demand for oil increasing around the world, the more nuclear power India builds, the better.
I wish we were building nukes today.
Thanks!
Yes welcome aboard. Great week for both India and US
The libs don't want to piss off China or Russia.
Russia is not too happy because we are cutting them off from one of their best clients.
See, there you are. Its ridiculous to say that we wont sell you reactors to prevent proliferation, when India already builds her own reactors, and has nuclear weapons. You dont get more proliferated than that!
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