Deal with US will weaken India's deterrence: Brajesh

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Mar 7 (UNI) The nuclear deal with the US will adversely affect India's capacity to respond to a nuclear attack against the country, former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra today said.

The availability of fissile material (which is used for making bombs) will be curtailed by the deal which places 14 of the 22 nuclear reactors under international safeguards leading to a cap on the deterrent, he told CNBC's 'India Tonight' programme.

According to Mr Mishra, who was negotiating with US officials for a nuclear deal when the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA Government was in power, because of India's 'no first use' doctrine, the emphasis was on the response to a nuclear attack against the country.

''The response has to be massive. But we can't give a devastating response because of the cap on the availability of fissile material,'' he said.

Also, India has not been given the right to withdraw reactors placed under safeguards, a right which all the other nuclear powers have.

Though India has a right to build new military reactors, which will not be under the safeguards, it will require time and in the interregnum India would be vulnerable to a nuclear threat, he added.

Mr Mishra, however, said international cooperation in civilian nuclear programme was essential. ''We need fuel supply, we need uranium.'' He said the Vajpayee government had told the US negotiators that India was willing to put ''a couple of reactors'' under international safeguards along with all future reactors.

In return, the US had to waive sanctions against Indian scientific and nuclear establishments and help through the Nuclear Suppliers Group to get international cooperation.

There was no response from the US to the Indian offer, he added.

Mr Mishra said US President George W Bush wanted the deal as much as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did.

UNI

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