Indo-US N-deal could undermine anti-nuclear regime: UK media

London, Oct 3 (PTI) The Indo-U.S. Civil Nuclear agreement, which has secured the stamp of approval of the American Congress, could fatally undermine an already weakened anti-nuclear regime, the British media Friday claimed.

"Bush has made a bold strategic move, but it is one
that could fatally undermine an already weakened anti-nuclear
regime," the Daily Telegraph newspaper said.

In an editorial titled 'India in from the cold', the
Telegraph observed that the dangers are twofold: First, the
deal could intensify the arms race with Pakistan and China.
Second, the non-proliferation exemption agreed for India will
make it more difficult to check the nuclear ambitions of
states like Iran.

The Guardian daily noted the deal opened the way for a
USD 14 billion investment in new Indian reactors and nuclear
plants over the next year alone.

"The deal has wider strategic significance, bolstering
US-India ties at a time of rising Chinese influence," it said.

The newspaper said "the India deal is certain to
encourage Tehran, for example, in its claims that the west is
applying a double standard by penalising what it claims is a
similarly peaceful civilian nuclear power generation
programme."

After more than three years of tortuous and fractious
domestic politics of India, the Indo-US deal secured the
approval of the U.S. Congress when the Senate overwhelmingly
voted a bill rejecting all the killer amendments, paving the
way for its implementation.

The landmark civil nuclear cooperation agreement,
entered into between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
President George W Bush in 2005 on which the U.P.A. risked the
coalition government, was approved by the Senate with 86
voting for and 13 against with bi-partisan support after
throwing out the amendments moved by two Democratic Senators.
PTI HSR