Most of the senators support India-US nuke deal

Washington, Nov 17: A large majority of prominent members, both Republican and the Democrats, lent strong support to the India-US nuclear agreement in the United States' Senate today in a discussion on a legislation which continued late tonight, seeking to give effect to the historic deal.

Prominent among those who pledged support included Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (Republican) and its ranking Democratic member Joe Biden. Both appreciated the need for the United States to develop strong ties with India, a fellow democratic nation, which has an excellent non-proliferation record.

However, Byron Dorgan, a Democrat from North Dakota, appeared as a strident opponent of the agreement, saying it marked a complete change in the US non-proliferation policy. He feared that it would encourage arms race in South Asia where India and Pakistan had never been on good terms.

He said India, taking advantage of the measure, would build a nuclear arsenal and clandestinely establish more nuclear reactors.

Most of the other Senators, including Sam Brownback (Republican), did not approve of the gloomy picture painted by Senator Dorgan.

Like most others, Republican Senator George Allen, who lost election this month, supported the measure. He said that the deal was in the best economic and security interests of both India and the United States.

Some senators intend to introduce amendments. Most of them are of very general in nature. Only in the case of Republican Senator John Ensign's amendment, the Senate would go into a secret session. It is not certain as to when the Senate will take up Senator Ensign's amendment.

However, there is no doubt that a majority would back the agreement as had been in the House of Representatives. The House endorsed the agreement in July last.

Earlier, Senator Lugar issued a statement, urging ''my colleagues'' to approve the agreement. ''This legislation will allow the United States to engage in peaceful nuclear cooperation while safeguarding US national security and non-proliferation efforts as well as Congressional prerogatives'' he said.

''It is an opportunity to build a vital strategic partnership with a nation that shares our democratic values and will exert increasing influence on the world stage. We should move forward now,'' Lugar had said in his prepared text.

He urged senators, some of whom are still wary of the deal, to vote in favour of the legislation ''without conditions that would kill the agreement.'' Under the deal, India would be allowed access to long-denied civilian nuclear technology in return for placing its non-military nuclear installations under international inspection.

India is not a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) about which some members voiced concern.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talked to President Bush on the telephone and discussed the proposed legislation and other ''current matters.''

UNI

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