[NukeNet] US-India Deal: Abolition 2000 Press Release

[Citizens' Nuclear Information Center]

Media Release
July 7, 2008

US-India Nuclear Agreement - Still a Bad Deal:
Global Network of NGOs Urge International Community to Oppose

The US-India Deal Working Group of Abolition 2000, a global network of  
over 2000 organizations in more than 90 countries working for a global  
treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons, says that pressure to rush a  
decision on the US-India Nuclear Agreement must be resisted.

The organizations are calling upon key governments "to play an active  
role in supporting measures that would ensure this controversial  
proposal does not: further undermine the nuclear safeguards system and  
efforts to prevent the proliferation of technologies that may be used  
to produce nuclear bomb material," or "in any way contribute to the  
expansion of India's nuclear arsenal."

This week, in defiance of opposition from Left Parties on whose support  
it depends, the Indian government is expected to circulate a draft  
nuclear Safeguards Agreement to the Board of Governors of the  
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In doing so, it set in  
motion the remaining steps required to operationalize the US-India  
bilateral nuclear agreement (known as the "123 Agreement" after the  
relevant clause in the US Atomic Energy Act). Besides the Safeguards  
Agreement, the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) must grant India  
a special exemption from its nuclear trade guidelines and finally the  
US Congress must accept the terms of the "123 Agreement".

It took two years from the July 2005 Joint Statement by Prime Minister  
Singh and President Bush until the text of the "123 Agreement" was  
finalized and nearly a year has elapsed since then. After delaying for  
so long, the decision at this time by the Indian government to send the  
draft Safeguards Agreement to the IAEA Board of Governors has more to  
do with the personal pride of Prime Minister Singh than with any  
changes in national or international circumstances. It appears that Mr  
Singh is more concerned about keeping faith with President Bush than  
the chances that the deal might actually be concluded. Most political  
commentators, including proponents of the deal within the US government  
and Congress, believe that the required steps cannot be completed  
during the life of the Bush Administration. Furthermore, there is no  
guarantee that the next President will wish to proceed with the deal in  
its current form.

The US-India Nuclear Agreement was a bad deal when it was originally  
conceived and nothing has changed to redeem it since then. All the  
problems identified in a letter sent to the NSG and the IAEA by 130  
NGOs and experts in January this year still remain. See the following  
link for the text of and list of signatories of the international  
letter:

http://cnic.jp/english/topics/plutonium/proliferation/usindiafiles/ 
nsgiaea7jan08.html

The deal effectively grants India the privileges of nuclear weapons  
states (NWS), despite the fact that India developed nuclear weapons  
outside the NPT regime. It doesn't even require India to accept the  
same responsibilities as other states: full-scope IAEA safeguards for  
non-NWS and a commitment from NWS to negotiate in good faith for the  
elimination of nuclear weapons.

The IAEA and NSG must not to be stampeded into making decisions to fit  
in with an unrealistic political time-table. The 35 countries  
represented on the IAEA Board of Governors must consider the  
possibility that special conditions demanded by India could undermine  
the credibility of the IAEA safeguards system itself. They must also  
consider whether undertakings made by a minority government in the face  
of strong opposition would actually be honored. The NSG must consider  
the implications for the international non-proliferation regime of  
granting India a special exemption. These are weighty matters which  
should not be judged precipitously.

The IAEA Board of Governors and the Nuclear Suppliers Group of  
countries should, as a minimum condition, hold firm to the longstanding  
international effort to end all production of highly enriched uranium  
and plutonium to make nuclear weapons. They should insist that the  
U.S.-India deal be conditioned on an end to further production of  
fissile materials for weapons purposes in South Asia.

Contacts
JAPAN (English and Japanese)
Tokyo: Philip White, Coordinator, Abolition 2000 US-India Deal Working  
Group +81-3-3357-3800
Toyako G8 Summit: Akira Kawasaki, Peace Boat, 090-8310-5370,  
kawasaki at peaceboat.gr.jp
INDIA: Sukla Sen, National Coordination Committee Member, Coalition for  
Nuclear Disarmament and Peace +91-22-6553-4377
UNITED STATES: Daryl Kimball, Director, Arms Control Association,  
+1-202-463-8270

c/- Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: 81-3-3357-3800  Fax: 81-3-3357-3801
Email 1: white at cnic.jp
Web Site:
http://cnic.jp/english/topics/plutonium/proliferation/usindia.html
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