Earth Equity News

Bush Signs Landmark US-India Nuclear Legislation. By Deb Riechmann, October 8, 2008. "President Bush on Wednesday signed legislation that reverses three decades of U.S. policy and allows American businesses to enter India's multibillion-dollar nuclear market. The U.S. agreement on civil nuclear cooperation permits American businesses to sell nuclear fuel, technology and reactors to India in exchange for safeguards and U.N. inspections at India's civilian -- but not military -- nuclear plants. Critics in India argue the constraints compromise their country's right to conduct nuclear tests. Some private U.S. arms control experts say the deal is likely to speed up nuclear arms competition in Asia. The Bush administration, however, considers the deal a key achievement of the president's second term... The signing of legislation, which approves U.S.-Indian civilian nuclear cooperation, is the result of three years of work by Indian officials and the Bush administration. The president said the measure would build on the growing ties between the world's two largest democracies, the United States and India... U.S. opponents of the nuclear agreement say lawmakers rushed consideration of a complicated deal that could spark a nuclear arms race in Asia. The extra fuel the measure allows India to purchase, those critics say, could boost India's nuclear bomb stockpile by freeing up its domestic fuel for weapons."