U.S.-India Nuclear Deal Raises Fears

Bush’s historic deal with India will shield some Indian nuclear plants from international inspections. A proliferation expert tells the N.Y. Times that this will allow India to “amass as many nuclear weapons as it wants. This is Santa Claus negotiating.”

N.Y. Times:

In concluding its nuclear deal with India, the Bush administration faces significant opposition in Congress and tough questions from its allies on whether the arrangement could set a precedent encouraging the spread of nuclear weapons to Iran and other potential foes of the United States.

But Bush administration officials expressed confidence on Thursday that they could overcome the skepticism of the critics, in part because support is nearly universal in the West and among Republicans and Democrats in Washington for building India’s strength as a bastion of democracy and a counterweight to China in Asia.

Full story