Indian Nuclear Deal in Jeopardy, U.S. Officials Say

Difficult Indian demands are endangering the completion of a U.S.-Indian nuclear trade deal, USA Today reported today (see GSN, March 30).

Two senior Bush administration officials said India is seeking the freedom to test nuclear weapons and to produce plutonium, two activities the United States wishes to discourage, according to USA Today.

U.S. President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh initially announced the deal in 2005.  Under their outline, the United States would exempt New Delhi from U.S. nuclear nonproliferation laws and provide nuclear material and technology to India.  In exchange, India would place its civilian nuclear sector under international monitoring while keeping its military activities secret.

The U.S. Congress approved changes to U.S. nonproliferation laws last year, but the deal remains contingent upon a more detailed implementation agreement now under negotiation between the two nations.  In addition, India must approve a nuclear safeguards plan with the International Atomic Energy Agency and international nuclear export rules must also be modified.

The bilateral implementation plan has emerged as the current hurdle for the nuclear deal.

“The Indians are being greedy,” said Henry Sokolski, head of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center.  India is seeking to ensure that nuclear trade would continue even if New Delhi tests a nuclear weapon or tries to separate plutonium from U.S.-supplied nuclear reactor fuel, said the two administration officials.

Some U.S. officials have even expressed their concerns publicly.

Nicholas Burns, the undersecretary of state who supervised negotiations, acknowledged that three rounds of talks with India have produced little.

“I don't question India's goodwill,” said he said.  “But there is a fair degree of frustration in Washington that the Indian government has not engaged seriously enough or quickly enough with both the United States and the IAEA.”

India’s Atomic Energy Department “may want the deal to fall through” to eliminate potential competition for its nuclear services, said Robert Einhorn of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (Barbara Slavin, USA Today, April 12).

Back to top
About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines © Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.