U.S.-India Nuke Deal

[Aught Six]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060302/ap_on_re_as/bush;_ylt=ArUJsxSc5AS.1Zj5nm_Ns6is0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMT A2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Bush has sold his proposed nuclear energy dealto Indian Prime Minister Singh during his visit this week. The agreement (which will need tobe approved by Congress) changes the U.S. policy stance towards India's nuclear program and essentially allows the country to enter the official "nuclear club". In exchange for allowing international inspectors to monitor India'scivilian nuclear energy program, American companies can invest in that program (selling fuel, reactor systems, etc.).

Obviously this is a hot topic, and opinions are strong both for and against. The U.S. has been pretty cool towards India and Pakistan since their low-level arms race in the late 90's, and for good reason. But since then India has shown itself to be responsible in its usage and application of nuclear power. And when you consider that nuclear power stations would drastically cut India's skyrocketing consumption of oil, I think America wins bigin the energy market. Not to mention India has a lot to offer us as a growing superpower at odds with China and Russia.

America needs all the help it can get in south/southwest Asia, and India is one of the few democratic nations that can offer that help.

Thoughts?

[boysda]

i'm with the Pres on this one

(momentary pause while boysda considers the year off his life it cost him to type the preceding statement)

i hadn't thought of the oil consumption angle, which is a good one. the one that i found particularly appealing was the use of India as a hedge against a powerful and potentially expansionist china.

[RedAllison]

I don't like the idea of pissant countries having nuclear technology for ANY reason, but I also know that they are going to get it with or without our help. So we might as well profit from it PLUS have that much advanced information as too just exactly it is that they DO have. If our companies had been selling the Korean's and the Iranian's technology instead of the Chinese and Russia then I doubt we would be in such a mess right now.

Like I said, in an ideal world we could snap our fingers and all this would go away, but at least Bush is being real enough about the idea to "keep us in the loop" with regards too the 2nd most populous country on the world becoming a nuclear nation.

Now what about our OWN nuclear power programs???
RA