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OK, what's wrong with this picture? First of all, we don't want Iran to have nuclear technology, but after being wined and dined by large Indian business coalitions, we're about to allow India to buy nuclear technology from us?
"...Last week, the efforts of the New Delhi-based Confederation of Indian Industry and a simultaneous lobbying campaign by American industrial companies paid off: Two key congressional committees approved a controversial plan to allow trade with India involving nuclear technology and other sensitive areas.
If the full Congress approves the plan, the deal would cement a historic new US-India alliance and open the doors to billions of dollars worth of high-tech and military sales to the South Asian nation. India will become the only country in the world to gain access to sensitive US nuclear technology without signing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and agreeing to give up its nuclear arsenal. In return, India would tighten its export controls and place some of its nuclear reactors under international inspections.
Supporters of the plan say it is a ``win-win" proposal, increasing business ties with one of the world's fastest-growing economies and strengthening nuclear safeguards in India at the same time.
But critics say billion-dollar business interests -- in the United States as well as India -- have trumped the decades-old policy of trying to get India to give up its nuclear weapons program. They point to the massive, behind-the-scenes lobbying effort by the Confederation and US businesses as proof.
``It is clear that business interests and US defense contractors and former US officials involved in South Asia policy have been working hard to push this deal," said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association. ``History has shown that US nonproliferation policy has consistently been compromised by interests in maintaining good relations or expanding business ties."
President Bush backed the proposal as a way to allow India to buy civilian nuclear reactors from the West, helping it feed its ever-growing needs for power without resorting to pollution-prone conventional power plants. Bush administration officials say the deal also provides a host of strategic advantages, including building a lasting friendship with a rapidly growing democracy in Asia, as a check on China's growing influence.
But few deny that the prospect of business opportunities worth billions of dollars helped fuel the deal. For Indian entrepreneurs, it is an opportunity to make money on privatized nuclear power plants and buy high-tech equipment that has been restricted for decades. For US businesses, it is a chance to invest in India's rapidly growing energy sector, to sell supplies to Indian nuclear reactors, and -- for the first time -- to have a shot at large-scale military contracts..."
Can someone say, "it's all about capitalism and making money for US corporations?"
Of course, if India had nuclear capability, it might do some interesting things to our current relationship with the repressive Pakistani government... 
Again, we reward countries when they have something to offer us and are willing to do business on our terms, but we punish the countries that don't kowtow to our demands. Sure screwy, bad foreign policy to me. Hopefully Congress will see through this ploy and stop the deal before we get the Ruskis, the Chinese and the North Koreans more mad at us than they already are.
Miulang
"...Last week, the efforts of the New Delhi-based Confederation of Indian Industry and a simultaneous lobbying campaign by American industrial companies paid off: Two key congressional committees approved a controversial plan to allow trade with India involving nuclear technology and other sensitive areas.
If the full Congress approves the plan, the deal would cement a historic new US-India alliance and open the doors to billions of dollars worth of high-tech and military sales to the South Asian nation. India will become the only country in the world to gain access to sensitive US nuclear technology without signing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and agreeing to give up its nuclear arsenal. In return, India would tighten its export controls and place some of its nuclear reactors under international inspections.
Supporters of the plan say it is a ``win-win" proposal, increasing business ties with one of the world's fastest-growing economies and strengthening nuclear safeguards in India at the same time.
But critics say billion-dollar business interests -- in the United States as well as India -- have trumped the decades-old policy of trying to get India to give up its nuclear weapons program. They point to the massive, behind-the-scenes lobbying effort by the Confederation and US businesses as proof.
``It is clear that business interests and US defense contractors and former US officials involved in South Asia policy have been working hard to push this deal," said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association. ``History has shown that US nonproliferation policy has consistently been compromised by interests in maintaining good relations or expanding business ties."
President Bush backed the proposal as a way to allow India to buy civilian nuclear reactors from the West, helping it feed its ever-growing needs for power without resorting to pollution-prone conventional power plants. Bush administration officials say the deal also provides a host of strategic advantages, including building a lasting friendship with a rapidly growing democracy in Asia, as a check on China's growing influence.
But few deny that the prospect of business opportunities worth billions of dollars helped fuel the deal. For Indian entrepreneurs, it is an opportunity to make money on privatized nuclear power plants and buy high-tech equipment that has been restricted for decades. For US businesses, it is a chance to invest in India's rapidly growing energy sector, to sell supplies to Indian nuclear reactors, and -- for the first time -- to have a shot at large-scale military contracts..."
Can someone say, "it's all about capitalism and making money for US corporations?"
Of course, if India had nuclear capability, it might do some interesting things to our current relationship with the repressive Pakistani government... Again, we reward countries when they have something to offer us and are willing to do business on our terms, but we punish the countries that don't kowtow to our demands. Sure screwy, bad foreign policy to me. Hopefully Congress will see through this ploy and stop the deal before we get the Ruskis, the Chinese and the North Koreans more mad at us than they already are.
Miulang
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