Congress should approve nuke deal
Rocky Mountain News
Published July 24, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
The politics of India are remote from most Americans, but, for better or worse, from time to time we figure prominently in theirs, especially this week in a narrow confidence vote for India's fragile, pro-U.S. coalition government.
The narrow vote, 275 to 265 with 10 abstentions, clears the way for India to proceed with a deal with the United States that would give it access to nuclear fuel and technology.
The vote, the culmination of a nasty, nine-month battle, brought out the abiding resentment of America among India's leftists and ultra-nationalists - who ultimately failed to prevail.
The proposed pact isn't perfect. India has nuclear weapons, has tested them and is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Deal or no deal, that isn't going to change. But it does open India's civilian reactors to international inspection and will bind India more closely to the global economy.
The deal must still be vetted by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the watchdog Nuclear Suppliers Group. And, perhaps most difficult of all, it must be approved by the U.S. Congress.
There are ample reasons for approval: Keeping U.S.-Indian relations on the upward path, billions of dollars in sales for U.S. nuclear suppliers, and a boost to the pro-U.S. coalition in advance of elections that must be held sometime before next May.
The problem is that there's a very small window left for Congress to act. Without a lame duck session, which the leadership seems to rule out, there's about three weeks to act between the end of the lawmakers' summer recess and the start of campaign season. But the Indians did their part under difficult circumstances; we should do ours.
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FlyfishDude52 writes:
Good idea. That would be excellent use of pork-barrelling politics!
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Patron_Drinker writes:
bobojake,
I hope by "Anwar" you mean the ANWR and not Anwar Sadat. Is he still alive?