US says nothing new in letter; we kept India informed

New Delhi, Sep 3 : Washington today down played the disclosures made in the US State Department document which triggered a controversy here, and said that there was nothing new in it which has not been shared with India or the US Congress.

"This letter contains no new conditions and there is no data in this letter which has not already been shared in an open and transparent way with members of the Congress and with the Government of India"" US Ambassador David C. Mulford said in a statement.

In controversial disclosures on the eve of the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in Vienna, the US has made it clear that it will stop fuel supplies and other nuclear cooperation if India conducts a nuclear test.

The US position, which appears at variance with New Delhi's interpretation of some key clauses of Indo-US nuclear deal, was made public just before the two-day meeting of the 45-nation NSG which will consider a waiver that will enable India do nuclear commerce.

A 26-page document released by a well-known opponent of the deal, Howard Berman, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, contains an assertion by the Bush Administration that its assurances of nuclear supplies to India are not meant to insulate it against the consequences of a nuclear test.

ANI