I am sorry for having sent an intended personal mail, in this thread... Regards Afthab Ellath
On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 6:56 PM, damodar prasad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
