Kerry Voices Support for Indo-US Nuclear Agreement

[kerrygoddess]

Kerry Voices Support for Indo-US Nuclear Agreement
January 12th, 2006

An Indian news source is reporting on a press conference with John Kerry after his meeting today with Prime Minister Singh, that I posted about earlier today. Kerry is in India holding talks on “wide array of bilateral matters, including the nuclear deal and burgeoning business ties between the two countries,” weeks ahead of Bush, who is scheduled to visit India in February.

NEW DELHI, JAN 12 (PTI)
Implementation of the Indo-US deal on civilian nuclear cooperation will mean grant of nuclear power status to India, influential American Senator and former Democrat Presidential candidate John Kerry said here today as he voiced support for the agreement.

Kerry told a press conference here that the deal, with “enormous benefits” bilaterally, cannot be seen only in the context of Indo-US relations but had implications at the global level.

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1626

[TayTay]

1. Nice job.

Sounds like a productive meeting and a chance for the US to make some progress with the World's Largest Democracy. (It's so nice to see the US actually talking with other nations and 'making friends,' especially in India which has undergone so much change lately.)

Good work.

[Mass]

2. Careful, this is the India version of the press conference and they

really want the deal to happen. Here is what the US newspapers are reporting. Not how it is a lot more nuanced, as expected.

http://www.heraldnewsdaily.com/stories/news-00123625.html

Kerry cautiously backs India-US nuclear deal
Staff and agencies
12 January, 2006



By Simon Denyer 57 minutes ago

NEW DELHI - United States Senator and leading Democrat John Kerry gave cautious backing on Thursday to a controversial deal granting India access to civilian nuclear technology.

...

Critics say this would allow India to divert more fissile material to its weapons programme, fuelling the arms race in South Asia and undermining global non-proliferation efforts.

Kerry said these arguments would have to be looked at closely.

"Are they show-stoppers?," he asked. "We will have to see how this thing is put together in the next few days."

[ProSense]

3. Excellent! More info from BBC and Reuters/Yahoo

In principle I support this - this is a great gain, a positive gain

John Kerry


Kerry 'backs' India nuclear deal

US Senator John Kerry has said he backs a controversial nuclear accord with India "in principle".
The landmark 2005 deal to grant India access to civilian nuclear technology must be ratified by the US Congress.

snip...

"What Congress will or won't do is going to depend on what the four corners of the agreement finally say when it is arrived at."

Mr Kerry said that the nuclear deal would have large implications internationally.

Apart from being approved by Congress, he said it would need:

to be approved by the 44-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group
changes to be made to the Atomic Energy Advisory Board
the adoption of the Fissile Technology Control Regime

more..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4605246.stm

Thu Jan 12, 3:16 AM ET
US Senator John Kerry, seen as a key player in getting Congress to approve a controversial deal giving India access to civilian nuclear technology, said he would back the accord.(AFP/Raveendran)

more photos

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060112/481/del10101121156

Kerry cautiously backs India-US nuclear deal By Simon Denyer
Thu Jan 12, 3:33 AM ET

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - United States Senator and leading Democrat John Kerry gave cautious backing on Thursday to a controversial deal granting India access to civilian nuclear technology.

The landmark U.S.-India accord, agreed in principle last July but still to be negotiated in detail, would grant New Delhi access to nuclear technology it has been denied for three decades, provided it separates its civilian and military facilities.


more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060112/pl_nm/india_usa_kerry_dc

[Mass]

5. The nuance in the "in principle" is a major one.

[ProSense]

6. The statements are qualified.

From the Reuters article:

"In principle, it is better to have India as a participant in the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Authority) procedures and standards with respect to its civilian programme than not to have it," he told a news conference on a visit to New Delhi.

"And to have a majority portion of that programme under those constraints reduces what is available to go into military, so there is a step forward," he said.

"But ... we cannot only look at this agreement in its bilateral context, it also has larger implications."

[Mass]

4. US efforts to tackle proliferation less than adequate: Kerry

US efforts to tackle proliferation less than adequate: Kerry

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200601121407.htm

New Delhi, Jan. 12. (PTI): US efforts to tackle the proliferation issue with regard to Pakistan and the A Q Khan network have been "less than full measure", influential American Senator John Kerry said here today.

Addressing a press conference here, the former Presidential candidate against George W Bush last year, said there was a need for the US and other countries to "renew atmospherics" with regard to curtailment of proliferation.

"Over the last years, our own efforts on non-proliferation, particularly with regard to Pakistan, A Q Khan and China, have been less than full measure," he said.

"There is need here for the US itself as well as other countries to renew atmospherics with regard to non-proliferation," Kerry said.

[Mass]

7. Kerry says Iran making "dangerous" nuclear choice

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-01-12T185230Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-231680-2.xml

Kerry says Iran making "dangerous" nuclear choice
Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:57 PM IST171
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HYDERABAD, India (Reuters) - U.S. Senator and former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said on Thursday that Iran was making a dangerous choice in pushing ahead with its nuclear ambitions.

"Iran has made a dangerous and silly decision of confronting not just the U.S. government but the entire international community," Kerry told reporters in the southern Indian technology hub of Hyderabad during a visit to India.

Kerry's statement came as officials from Britain, France and Germany plan to meet their counterparts from China, Russia and the United States in London next week to discuss Iran's decision to restart sensitive nuclear work.

Kerry said Iran could be referred to the U.N. Security Council if the crisis continued.

"If all diplomatic channels fail, we have no choice but to take the issue before the international body," Kerry, a strong proponent of nuclear non-proliferation, said.
...