Revised draft exemption is likely to be rejected: ACA

Washington, Aug 31 (PTI) The revised draft exemption for India to be presented before the Nuclear Suppliers Group (N.S.G.) has not been modulated as per the group's demands and is likely to be rejected, a top arms control specialist said today.

Daryl Kimbal, the executive director of the Arms Control Association (A.C.A.), has maintained that the report
of New Delhi's expectation that the 45-nation group ought to
be satisfied with a "statement from the Chair" as a substitute
for a rational N.S.G. policy should be rejected.

The A.C.A. has consistently been against the Indo-US
nuclear deal on non-proliferation grounds.

"Earlier today, the revised US-Indian draft waiver was
transmitted to N.S.G. states... it makes no substantive
concessions or changes and is essentially the same as the
earlier draft proposal," Kimbal said in a statement.

The N.S.G. is to take up the issue of waiver for India at
its next meeting in Vienna on September 4-5.

"Contrary to the Orwellian claims of its proponents, the
deal would not bring India into the nonproliferation
mainstream. Unlike 179 other countries, India has not signed
the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. It continues to produce
fissile material and expand its nuclear arsenal," he said.
PTI SK
BDS
NNNN


Republican platform welcomes new Indo-US relationship, N-deal

Washington, Aug 31 (PTI) The ruling Republican party in
the US has reaffirmed faith in the civil nuclear accord with
India and the shared commitment to deal with common security
concerns, according to the draft of the party platform.

White House hopeful John McCain's party, which is
fine-tuning its political agenda ahead of its national
convention in Minneapolis between September one and four,
hailed the "new" Indo-US relationship.

"We welcome America's new relationship with India,
including the US-India civil nuclear accord. Our common
security concerns and shared commitment to political freedom
and representative government can be the foundation for an
enduring partnership," said the draft which is now heading to
the convention and scheduled to be approved tomorrow.

The Grand Old Party (G.O.P.) has been quite short this
year on the status of Indo-US relations but managed to grasp
the essence of the bilateral thrusts of a relationship that
has deepened in last seven years of the Bush administration.

In 2004, the G.O.P. was more expansive about India making
the point that since 2001 the US has started with a view of
India as a "growing world power" with which Washington has
common security interests and a shared and fundamental
commitment to political freedom. PTI