Asia: India & Nuke Proliferation:Upsetting Asia's Atomic Applecart

Today The Christian Science Monitor has published an important editorial, available online here, that notes without flinching just what the situation is in Asia in regard to the proliferation of nucelar weapons (a Weapon of Mass Destruction, folks). To get to the editorial's key point,

India, for instance, received the blessing of the Bush administration this week to expand its nuclear energy and weapons programs - despite the fact that India tested atomic weapons in 1998 and is not a member of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty group]. Mr. Bush promised India's visiting prime minister that he would seek congressional and international approval to sell nuclear technology to this burgeoning US ally. Pakistan, too, has recently been let off the hook for its 1998 nuclear tests.

Later in the CSM's commentary, we get the companion paragraph on India:

To his credit, Bush did win limited concessions from India to suspend its tests and to allow international inspectors of its civilian nuclear programs. But that's a limited victory for nonproliferation if other nuclear powers, such as Russia, decide they, too, can go around a central rule of the NPT and sell nuclear technology to non-NPT nations.

That's the thumbnail on India and Bush's struggles toward a consistent regional policy amidst all the manoeuvering of the parties there, some of which seem to want to be ready to knock their own closest neighbours into oblivion.

The editorial goes on to make specifications about China, North Korea, and even Japan which now feels like Taiwan that it must be prepared for any eventuality arising from the combined nuke arsenals of the insane leadership of North Korea and the soaring ambitions of China to dominate the Pacific out from a conquered Taiwan.

J.D. McQuire of China e-Lobby comments on the US agreement to open up nuclear technology and advanced weapons to India:

So much for the [Chinese] Communists’ charm offensive [toward India] , the Communists never came close to what President Bush did: “give India access to U.S. nuclear technology and conventional weapons systems” [WaPo: see link below] as part of his plan “help position India . . . as a regional counterweight to China”. The deal must be approved by Congress, due to India’s refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act, the same treaty that has been so effective in stopping Communist China from aiding Iran and Stalinist North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. In an address to Congress, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh emphasized his nation’s “solid non-proliferation track record” [WaTi: see below], insisting India – a possessor of nuclear weapons since 1998 – has “never been and will never be a source of proliferation of sensitive technologies . . . even though we have witnessed unchecked nuclear proliferation in our own neighborhood which has directly affected our security interests." Did you hear that Communist China? Meanwhile, Singh also reiterated his full support for the War on Terror, and went further in insisting “We cannot be selective in this area” – a pointed reference to Communist ally Pakistan’s history of backing terrorists in Kashmir. ..."

I'm indebted to McQuire's paragraph above for this rich list of live links! Get better soon, J.D - that's health I'm referring too, not the quality of your China e-Lobby blog which is always top rate. - Owlb

Bush Officials Defend India Nuclear DealWashington Post, July 20, 2005
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addresses US Congress, Washington Times, July 19, 2005
Indian PM Makes Nuclear Appeal to Congressby Patrick Goodenough, Cybercast News, July 20, 2005
Indian Pm back US against terror UPI/Washington Times, July 19, 2005