Failure of the U.S.-India Nuclear Deal Would be a Boon for Nonproliferation; the U.S.-India Relationship will Remain Strong

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the founder and co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation, today welcomed news that the U.S.-India Nuclear Deal may be on its last legs. In July of 2005, President Bush first proposed carving an enormous exception from global nuclear nonproliferation rules for India, which would have had a deeply damaging result on global security.

“If the U.S.-India nuclear deal collapses now, it would be the best outcome for nuclear nonproliferation and a merciful end for a deal which has run into serious difficulties all over the world,” said Rep. Markey.

“A growing number of countries at the Nuclear Suppliers Group have been expressing serious doubts about the wisdom of the deal, and the NSG was expected to demand strong nonproliferation conditions. Meanwhile, concerns about the ramifications of deal have created more critics on Capitol Hill and I suspect very few members of Congress will mourn the passing of this terribly flawed proposal.

“India has a place in the global nonproliferation system, but the Bush nuclear deal was a bad idea from the start. The terms of the deal were mind-boggling: In essence they said, if the U.S. was forced to stop shipments of uranium to India because India exploded a new nuclear weapon, the U.S. would help India find an alternative source of uranium, likely from France or Russia! It’s a nuclear wink-and-nudge, promising to keep the uranium flowing even if they explode another bomb.

“As the Indian Prime Minister has said, the failure of this deal will not derail the U.S.-India relationship. The trade between our countries has grown at an incredible pace, and will continue to do so. The collapse of this deal would be a great thing for nonproliferation at very little cost to the bilateral U.S.-Indian relationship.”


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2007

CONTACT: Jessica Schafer, 202.225.2836