08-14-2007, 08:25 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSDEL26778620070812?
<b>Congress seen backing India nuclear deal</b>
"There will be debate, there will be some dissent," Lieberman told reporters. "In the end, it will be accepted and endorsed by strong majority in both houses of Congress because it is so clearly in the interests of the United States.
"It's a good agreement, it's a honorable agreement," said the independent lawmaker from Connecticut, the 2000 Democratic vice-presidential nominee known to be close to the White House.
The nuclear deal aims to give India access to U.S. nuclear fuel and equipment for the first time in 30 years to help meet its soaring energy needs, even though it has stayed out of non-proliferation pacts and tested nuclear weapons.
....
Although the pact does not mention India's relations with its old friend Iran, these would loom large over Congress due to the "fanaticism of the regime" in Tehran, its "direct threats" to Washington and its "support" for anti-American forces in Iraq, Lieberman said.
<b>"No one can reasonably or fairly ask India to disengage from Iran, no matter how negatively we feel about the government, because some of our close allies in Europe and Asia, including Japan, have diplomatic relations with Iran," he said.
"But the question is ... to be certain that India, in its commercial relations with Iran, does not fall on the wrong side of any of the U.S. sanctions legislations against Iran."</b>
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Congressional staffer said that although President George W. Bush signed a presidential signing statement in December that took exception to parts of the Hyde Act, there was "no indication yet" that the Bush administration had flat out ignored any provisions of the legal restrictions Congress placed on the US-India nuclear deal.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->We're very satisfied because we know the agreement is well within the bounds of the Hyde Act," Burns told reporters after testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Hyde Act, approved by Congress in December, created a unique exception to U.S. export law to allow nuclear cooperation with India. The just-completed agreement, called a 123 agreement after a section of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, spells out technical details for that nuclear cooperation.
Like the Hyde Act, the 123 agreement must be approved by Congress. But that cannot happen until India agrees on a program of inspections of its nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group changes its rules.
"None of this will happen this year," the congressional source said.
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:0t-vB8...clnk&cd=9&gl=us
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Congress seen backing India nuclear deal</b>
"There will be debate, there will be some dissent," Lieberman told reporters. "In the end, it will be accepted and endorsed by strong majority in both houses of Congress because it is so clearly in the interests of the United States.
"It's a good agreement, it's a honorable agreement," said the independent lawmaker from Connecticut, the 2000 Democratic vice-presidential nominee known to be close to the White House.
The nuclear deal aims to give India access to U.S. nuclear fuel and equipment for the first time in 30 years to help meet its soaring energy needs, even though it has stayed out of non-proliferation pacts and tested nuclear weapons.
....
Although the pact does not mention India's relations with its old friend Iran, these would loom large over Congress due to the "fanaticism of the regime" in Tehran, its "direct threats" to Washington and its "support" for anti-American forces in Iraq, Lieberman said.
<b>"No one can reasonably or fairly ask India to disengage from Iran, no matter how negatively we feel about the government, because some of our close allies in Europe and Asia, including Japan, have diplomatic relations with Iran," he said.
"But the question is ... to be certain that India, in its commercial relations with Iran, does not fall on the wrong side of any of the U.S. sanctions legislations against Iran."</b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Congressional staffer said that although President George W. Bush signed a presidential signing statement in December that took exception to parts of the Hyde Act, there was "no indication yet" that the Bush administration had flat out ignored any provisions of the legal restrictions Congress placed on the US-India nuclear deal.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->We're very satisfied because we know the agreement is well within the bounds of the Hyde Act," Burns told reporters after testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Hyde Act, approved by Congress in December, created a unique exception to U.S. export law to allow nuclear cooperation with India. The just-completed agreement, called a 123 agreement after a section of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, spells out technical details for that nuclear cooperation.
Like the Hyde Act, the 123 agreement must be approved by Congress. But that cannot happen until India agrees on a program of inspections of its nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group changes its rules.
"None of this will happen this year," the congressional source said.
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:0t-vB8...clnk&cd=9&gl=us
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->