WASHINGTON, 10 September 2005 — A sweeping new US-India nuclear agreement is at risk if New Delhi does not work with Washington to punish Iran for its nuclear weapons-related activities, influential US congressmen said on Thursday.
The lawmakers, who must approve key aspects of the deal that is one of President George W. Bush’s top legislative priorities for 2005, faulted the administration for not getting a definitive commitment from India to cooperate on Iran before the nuclear agreement was announced July 18. Bush promised India full cooperation in developing its civilian nuclear power program in return for New Delhi’s commitment to adhere to international non-proliferation regimes.
“New Delhi must understand how important their cooperation and support is to US initiatives to counter the nuclear threat from Iran,” said Rep. Tom Lantos, senior Democrat on the House of Representatives International Relations Committee.
Lantos told a hearing he strongly backs closer ties with the world’s largest democracy but India “will pay a very hefty price for their total disregard of US concerns vis-à-vis Iran, the single most important international threat we face.”
Iran is under diplomatic pressure after an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report last week confirmed Tehran had resumed uranium conversion, one of several weapons-related activities previously suspended under a deal with three European Union nations — France, Britain and Germany.
The United States and the EU3 want Iran’s case referred to the UN Security Council, where sanctions could be imposed. A showdown looms Sept. 19 at an IAEA meeting.
Despite vastly improving ties with Washington, India, a rising Asian power with voracious energy needs, is pursuing a US-opposed gas pipeline project with Iran. On a recent visit to Iran, Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh spoke against referring the nuclear issue to the Security Council.
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns acknowledged the administration had not received a definitive promise of cooperation on Iran before the US-India deal was agreed. But since then, it has asked India to back the UN referral on Sept. 19 and has told New Delhi of its concerns about the foreign minister’s remarks, he said. “I don’t believe we’ve heard the last word from the Indian government” on Iran, Burns said.
Rep. Jim Leach, a senior committee Republican, worried that the nuclear accord seems to “preemptorily rewrite” global non-proliferation rules. The administration “raised Indian expectations by making sensitive security commitments it cannot fulfill without legislative action by Congress. It is far from clear, however, whether congressional support will be forthcoming,” he said.
India reacted by saying it wanted differences between Iran and the United States on Tehran’s nuclear activities to be resolved through talks. “India is against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We have said Iran, just as any other country, should live to its commitments and obligations (on nuclear activities),” Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran told a news conference in New Delhi. “These matters should be resolved through discussions and not through confrontation.”
Even as differences surfaced between the two countries over the Iran nuclear issue, American defense officials showcased the latest version of the Patriot missile defense system at classified briefings for their Indian counterparts, offering for sale military equipment made available to an exclusive club of countries. The US offer to sell India the Patriot Advance Capability 3 missile system as well as F-A/18 Hornet and F-16 fighter planes is the result of a sweeping alliance emerging between the two countries.
