Aftab, I think you have not posted in FEC. May I do so. On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 3:56 PM, Afthab Ellath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> *Nuclear Waiver - Blow To Non-Proliferation* > > *By Praful Bidwai* > > 08 September, 2008 > *Inter Press Service <http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43818>* > > *NEW DELHI, Sep 8 (IPS)* - The special waiver granted to India by the > Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) from its nuclear trade rules is being seen as > a massive setback to the cause of global nuclear non-proliferation and > disarmament. > > The NSG's waiver will allow India to resume nuclear commerce with the rest > of the world with very few restrictions although India is not a signatory to > the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has refused to accede to any > other agreement for preventing the spread of, reducing the numbers of, or > abolishing nuclear weapons. > > The 45-nation conglomerate, a private arrangement set up after India's > first nuclear weapons explosion in 1974, turned a full circle at its special > meeting in Vienna, on the weekend, the second one in a fortnight, held at > the behest of the United States. > > The NSG was originally established "to ensure that nuclear trade for > peaceful purposes does not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear > weapons or other nuclear explosive devices". > > But it has now done the very opposite by agreeing to the exceptional waiver > for India as part of New Delhi's controversial nuclear cooperation deal with > the U.S. inked three years ago. > > Washington hailed the waiver as "historic" and one that would boost nuclear > non-proliferation, while New Delhi described the deal as an "important step" > towards meeting the challenges of climate change and sustainable > development. > > Clearly though, the waiver only became possible because of the strong-arm > methods used by the U.S. to bludgeon dissenting NSG members into agreeing to > the exemption text it had drafted in consultation with India. > > Contrary to the claim that the waiver, and more generally, the U.S.-India > nuclear deal, will bring India into the global "non-proliferation > mainstream" or promote nuclear restraint on India's part, *it will allow > India to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal and encourage a nuclear arms > race in Asia, particularly in the volatile South Asian subcontinent, where > Pakistan emerged as India's nuclear rival 10 years ago. * > > The special waiver has been roundly criticised by nuclear disarmament and > peace groups throughout the world, including in India. > > *The waiver, says the U.S.-India Deal Working Group of the disarmament > network 'ABOLITION 2000', comprising more than 2,000 peace groups worldwide, > "creates a dangerous distinction between 'good' proliferators and 'bad' > proliferators and sends out misleading signals to the international > community..." * > > "The exemption" it adds, "will not bring India further into conformity with > the non-proliferation behaviour expected of the member-states of the NPT." > > Barring the exceptional situation in which India might conduct another > nuclear test, the NSG imposes no significant conditions on nuclear trade > with India. Even this condition is not stated up-front, and is mentioned in > reference to a general statement by India's Foreign Minister Pranab > Mukherjee on Sep. 5, in which he reiterated India's unilateral and voluntary > moratorium on nuclear testing and its non-proliferation commitments. > > *But a voluntary moratorium can be lifted easily and unilaterally.* In any > case, it falls short of a legally binding commitment not to test. > > India had insisted on a "clean and unconditional" waiver from the NSG, and > has very nearly secured it, thanks to the indulgence of the U.S., which > proposed the deal in the first place and lobbied hard and furiously for it. > > *With the waiver under its belt, India can proceed to import uranium fuel, > of which it is running short, and a range of other nuclear materials, > equipment and technologies for its civilian nuclear programme. But it can > divert domestic uranium exclusively for weapons purposes. * > > "Under the U.S.-India nuclear deal, India signed an agreement to separate > its military nuclear facilities from civilian installations and subject some > of the latter to safeguards under the International Atomic Energy Agency," > says Achin Vanaik, head of the department of political science at Delhi > University, and a national coordination committee member of the Coalition > for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (India). > > *According to Vanaik, India will only put 14 of its 22 operating or > planned civilian nuclear reactors under IAEA safeguards, which are meant to > ensure that no nuclear material from them is diverted to military purposes. > ''But it can use the remaining eight reactors to produce as much plutonium > as it likes for its weapons programme." * > > *According to a report prepared by independent scientists and experts for > the International Panel on Fissile Materials two years ago, these eight > reactors alone can yield fuel for as many as 40 Nagasaki-type bombs every > year. * > > In addition, India can produce more bomb fuel from its dedicated military > nuclear facilities and fast-breeder reactors, which it can maintain and > expand. > > India accepts no limits or restrictions on the size of its nuclear arsenal > and has an ambitious nuclear doctrine under which it continues to stockpile > fissile material for weapons use. > > The NSG has all but put its imprimatur on India's nuclear activities which > would allow it to expand its arsenal of mass-destruction weapons and thus > set a negative example for the rest of the world, in particular, wannabe > atomic states. > > In the process, says Daryl F. Kimball of the Arms Control Association > (U.S.), the NSG has undermined "efforts to contain Iran's and North Korea's > nuclear programmes, and it will make it nearly impossible to win support for > much-needed measures to strengthen the NPT" at its next review conference > due in 2010. > > The waiver may weaken and harm the NPT itself by aiding the acquisition of > nuclear weapons by a country not recognised by it as a nuclear > weapons-state, which it explicitly prohibits. Effectively, it expands the > Nuclear Club to include a member which has refused to sign the treaty. > > Within the NSG, there was a great deal of resistance to the waiver. An > earlier meeting of the group, on Aug. 21-22, failed to produce a consensus > -- necessary for any decision to go through. > > The resistance was led by six "like-minded" countries --Austria, Ireland, > the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland -- which argued that > India must accept three conditions in order to resume nuclear trade. > > These included a periodic review of compliance with India's > non-proliferation pledges, exclusion from trade of sensitive technologies > such as uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, and cessation of > nuclear commerce in case India tests. > > In the event, India only accepted the first condition and doggedly refused > to go beyond reiterating its unilateral moratorium on testing. > > However, on the second day of the NSG meeting, *Foreign Minister Mukherjee > made a general statement saying that India is opposed to nuclear > proliferation, does not subscribe to an arms race, and will behave > responsibly as a nuclear weapons-state. * > > *"The statement was inane and dishonest because India initiated and has > sustained a nuclear arms race in South Asia,"* says M.V. Ramana from the > Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in the Environment and Development, > Banagalore. "It is really a sad commentary on the state of debate at the NSG > if such statements actually create what was described by the U.S. delegate > as a 'positive momentum'..." > > Eventually, the "positive result" in the form of the waiver was achieved > after Mukherjee's statement effectively split the "like-minded" group and > led to the desertion of the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland on the > evening of Sep. 5. > > Behind the change was crude pressure, blackmail and induced fear of > "isolation" on account of antagonising the "emerging power" that is India. > The topmost leaders of the U.S., India and their allies worked the telephone > lines to mount this pressure. > > Kimball said that ''it appears as if George Bush and his team engaged in > some nasty threats, misinformation about positions, and intimidation, to > wear down the core six members … and their allies. You have to assume the > conversations among foreign ministers, presidents, and prime ministers > didn't focus on the policy and non-proliferation issues, but raw politics". > > "Another factor,'' Kimball added, ''was the role of Germany, ostensibly the > NSG chair. At this meeting, the Germans apparently sat on their thumbs and > let the Americans run the show and keep asking for more consultations > despite the remaining differences. A more competent and less biased chair > would have provided more balance and would have adjourned the meeting Friday > night when it was clear there was still disagreement on some fundamental > issues..." > > China briefly emerged as a supporter of the Group of Six, when it asked > that the waiver decision not be rushed. But, say Indian media reports, a > critically timed telephone call from Bush to Chinese president Hu Jintao did > the trick and China quickly fell in line. > > "This was a triumph of crass power politics," says Vanaik. "It is sad and > profoundly disturbing that nobody resisted U.S. or Indian pressure and stood > up for elementary principles in a group where even a single member could > have blocked the waiver. *India's 'victory' is founded on crude muscle > power and cynicism, and negates rational, democratic decision-making based > on a commitment to making the world a safer place."* > (Praful Bidwai is a noted peace activist and co-founder of the Movement in > India for Nuclear Disarmament (MIND), based in New Delhi.) > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
