08-26-2008, 04:30 AM
A bad nuclear deal
Published: August 25 2008 18:30 | Last updated: August 25 2008 18:30
The Bush administration has long been guilty of a fundamental inconsistency on the issue of nuclear proliferation. On the one hand, it insists that international sanctions must be targeted on Iran until it suspends its uranium enrichment programme. The US says sanctions are necessary because it argues that Iran wants to build a nuclear weapon â while Tehran says it merely wants to develop a civil nuclear energy programme.
On the other hand, President Bush makes the opposite argument when it comes to India. In 1974, India stunned the world by detonating a nuclear weapon using Canadian technology that had been imported ostensibly to develop peaceful atomic energy. But the Bush administration says Indiaâs illicit pursuit of nuclear weapons can be forgiven. Three years ago, the White House declared it was prepared to allow India to buy nuclear fuel and equipment for its civil nuclear programme. India was required to offer nothing in return â such as a promise not to expand its nuclear arsenal or to stop atomic testing.
This was a foolish move by the Bush White House, undermining international rules on nuclear proliferation. It is therefore refreshing to see many states make clear how unhappy they are. If the US Congress is to approve the pact, it must first be ratified by an obscure body called the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an organisation set up to ensure no country exploits foreign nuclear assistance as India has. At a meeting last week, NSG member states failed to give the deal the green light, tabling extensive conditions that India must meet if it is to receive nuclear material.
Mr Bushâs allies say it is a pity the international community is dragging its feet in this way. They argue that the deal is strategically smart because it has ended 40 years of hostility between India and the US and balances the rising power of China. But the costs far outweigh any benefits. This deal makes a mockery of the non-proliferation treaty. And it threatens to accelerate the nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan. This is because every pound of uranium that India is allowed to import for its power reactors frees up a pound of uranium for its bomb programme.
The NSG will again convene next month and must apply as many conditions as possible to Indiaâs nuclear programme before giving the deal the go-ahead. Better still, the next US president should ditch the entire policy. He should opt for an approach that reforms the rules of the nuclear game both for Americaâs friends and foes.
Published: August 25 2008 18:30 | Last updated: August 25 2008 18:30
The Bush administration has long been guilty of a fundamental inconsistency on the issue of nuclear proliferation. On the one hand, it insists that international sanctions must be targeted on Iran until it suspends its uranium enrichment programme. The US says sanctions are necessary because it argues that Iran wants to build a nuclear weapon â while Tehran says it merely wants to develop a civil nuclear energy programme.
On the other hand, President Bush makes the opposite argument when it comes to India. In 1974, India stunned the world by detonating a nuclear weapon using Canadian technology that had been imported ostensibly to develop peaceful atomic energy. But the Bush administration says Indiaâs illicit pursuit of nuclear weapons can be forgiven. Three years ago, the White House declared it was prepared to allow India to buy nuclear fuel and equipment for its civil nuclear programme. India was required to offer nothing in return â such as a promise not to expand its nuclear arsenal or to stop atomic testing.
This was a foolish move by the Bush White House, undermining international rules on nuclear proliferation. It is therefore refreshing to see many states make clear how unhappy they are. If the US Congress is to approve the pact, it must first be ratified by an obscure body called the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an organisation set up to ensure no country exploits foreign nuclear assistance as India has. At a meeting last week, NSG member states failed to give the deal the green light, tabling extensive conditions that India must meet if it is to receive nuclear material.
Mr Bushâs allies say it is a pity the international community is dragging its feet in this way. They argue that the deal is strategically smart because it has ended 40 years of hostility between India and the US and balances the rising power of China. But the costs far outweigh any benefits. This deal makes a mockery of the non-proliferation treaty. And it threatens to accelerate the nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan. This is because every pound of uranium that India is allowed to import for its power reactors frees up a pound of uranium for its bomb programme.
The NSG will again convene next month and must apply as many conditions as possible to Indiaâs nuclear programme before giving the deal the go-ahead. Better still, the next US president should ditch the entire policy. He should opt for an approach that reforms the rules of the nuclear game both for Americaâs friends and foes.