Condi's Diplomatic Triumph by Gordon Prather

[Demeter]

http://www.antiwar.com/prather/?articleid=10210

Last year Condi whizzed down to New Delhi to prevent India from finalizing technical and commercial contracts for a $4.5 billion natural gas pipeline – the so-called "Peace Pipeline" – that would transit Pakistan but provide Iranian natural gas mostly to India.

Iran proposed making India effectively a "partner" in the gas pipeline, oil refining and other energy related projects to the tune of $40 billion.

Well, an Iranian-Pakistani-Indian Islamic law-friendly energy "partnership" would never do. So, Condi proposed, as a mutually exclusive alternative, a U.S.-Indian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

Of course, under the terms of the Atomic Energy Act, such an agreement required Congressional approval.

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[bleever]

1. Here comes the Unitary Decider:

So, that meant that the US-India deal Condi was proposing was not only contrary to NSG guidelines, but was prohibited under US law.

In its closing hours, the 109th Congress passed the US-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act <.pdf>, which supplied conditional Congressional exceptions to existing law.

/snip/

Within hours of signing the US-India PAEC Act, King George issued a "signing statement" in which he declared, inter alia

"Section 103 of the Act purports to establish U.S. policy with respect to various international affairs matters. My approval of the Act does not constitute my adoption of the statements of policy as U.S. foreign policy. Given the Constitution's commitment to the presidency of the authority to conduct the Nation's foreign affairs, the executive branch shall construe such policy statements as advisory.

"Also, if section 104(d)(2) of the Act were construed to prohibit the executive branch from transferring or approving the transfer of an item to India contrary to Nuclear Suppliers Group transfer guidelines that may be in effect at the time of such future transfer, a serious question would exist as to whether the provision unconstitutionally delegated legislative power to an international body."

[Demeter]

2. This Is IMPORTANT! READ IT! Kick for Weds.