Bush threatening NPT by exempting India, says NYT

‘‘In trying to give India a special exemption, Bush is threatening the non proliferation treaty which for more than 35 years has dissuaded countries that are capable of building or buying nuclear arms from doing so… and if his hope is that the promise of nuclear technology from America will be enough to prod India to turn its back on Iran, that’s a bad bet,” the NYT said in the editorial.

It went on to point out that even as India was casting its vote on Iran’s nuclear programme, “Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said his government would continue to pursue a multi billion dollar gas pipeline deal with Tehran.”

“India wants Bush to wring approval from Congress for a misbeggoten pact in which US would help meet India’s energy requirements through civilian nuclear cooperation. With its eye on the nuclear deal, India bowed to US pressure and cast its vote at IAEA to refer Iran’s suspected nuclear programme to the UN Security Council,” the NYT said.

“That was a victory for US and India did the right thing to hold Iran accountable, but the deal it wants to make with the US is a bad one,” the NYT said. “It would allow India to make an end run around the NPT’s bargain which rewards countries who renounce nuclear weapons with an option to import nuclear technology to help meet their energy needs.”