Bush Admn set for efforts to get nuclear deal approved

Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington, Sept 8 (PTI) Facing the final hurdle, the
Bush Administration Monday geared up to get the 123 Agreement
quickly approved by the American Congress to bring the
landmark Indo-U.S. nuclear deal to fruition, as a key critic
raised questions on an expedited timetable.

After winning a Nuclear Suppliers Group(N.S.G.) waiver,
the U.S. is hoping for a bipartisan support for the Agreement
with India getting the green signal from the nuclear cartel
for resuming nuclear commerce after it approved the waiver.

In signs that the top echelons of the State department
were investing their personal energy to see the 123 Agreement
through, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is herself
leading the charge to open talks with Congress leaders at the
earliest. The Congress, which opened today, will be in session
till Sept.26. Rice has admitted that the Congressional
calendar is short.

Though the Administration has voiced optimism over a
Congress approval, potential problems loomed large with
Senator Howard Berman, the Chairman of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee and a vocal critic of the deal, saying it
should first convince the lawmakers on the need for special
procedures to speed up the process.

The Congress is being asked by the Administration to do
away with the mandatory 30-day period before it can take up
the Agreement for a simple yes-no vote without a debate.

If the U.S. administration wants to seek special
procedure to quicken Congressional consideration of the
accord, it should show how the N.S.G. decision is consistent
with the Hyde Act, including which technology can be sent to
India and what impact a nuclear test by New Delhi would have,
Berman said.

A senior U.S. official working on the India legislation
was quoted as saying in the Wall Street Journal: "We still
have a lot of hurdles in front of us."

"Before we vote, Congress needs to study the N.S.G.
decision, along with any agreements that were made behind the
scenes to bring it about," Berman said echoing his earlier
comments that Congress should not rush through the deal until
the Administration proved that it did not cut any "side deals"
at the N.S.G. to get the waiver for India.

The Californian Democrat who raised a political storm in
India by releasing on the eve of N.S.G. meeting responses by
the State Department to questions posed by his predecessor Tom
Lantos, said he supports civil nuclear cooperation with India.

"I support cooperation on civilian nuclear energy with
India. I oppose policies that would lead to a nuclear arms
race or undermine proliferation standards," Berman said in a
statement issued from Van Nuys, California.

Rice told reporters travelling with her in Algiers,
capital of Algeria that the congressional calendar is short,
but the main thing is the international work is now
done. "I certainly hope to get it (Agreement) through because
it's also a big step for the U.S.-India relationship," she
said.

The pressure is also building on Congress from the
Indian American community that played a phenomenal role in the
run up to the passage of the Hyde Act with the refrain in
community circles being that "anything" can be done in
Washington provided there is a political will.

"Chairman Berman, forty five nations of the N.S.G. have
given their approval and now it is time to waive the rules and
let this agreement be considered by the congress for up and
down vote in this session" the Chairman of the 'US-India
Forum' Ashok Mago said.