Original source URL:
It was "outrageous that the president has repeatedly stated
the greatest threat to U.S. national security is a nuclear
Iran, yet explicitly rejects Congress' declaration that it
shall be the official policy of the United States that India
will not use its nuclear technology to help develop Iran's
nuclear weapons arsenal," Harkin said in a press release.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/122106B.shtml
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-12-21T115200Z_01_N20406847_RTRUKOC_0_US-NUCLEAR-INDIA-USA.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C5-politicsNews-2
Bush India statement raises Congress concerns
Thu Dec 21, 2006 6:52 AM ET
By Carol Giacomo, Diplomatic Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A statement by President George W. Bush issued in
connection with the just-signed U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation law has
raised concerns that Bush may try to circumvent some of Congress' intentions,
lawmakers and analysts say.
The statement, clarifying Bush's views on law and policy, was issued after he
signed new legislation on Monday permitting U.S. sales of nuclear fuel and
reactors to India for the first time in 30 years.
In the statement, Bush said his signature "does not constitute my adoption of
the statements of policy (in the law) as U.S. foreign policy." Also in
responding to reports mandated by Congress, he would consider how releasing data
requested by lawmakers might "impair foreign relations."
In one of its most controversial directives, Congress stipulated in the law that
presidents should report annually on India's cooperation in restraining Iran's
nuclear program, which Bush has condemned as a major international threat.
"With his recent signing statement, once again the president has shown he views
Congress as a nuisance rather than an equal branch of government under the
Constitution," said Sen. Thomas Harkin of Iowa, a Democrat whose party will
control a majority of the new Congress to be sworn in next month.
It was "outrageous that the president has repeatedly stated the greatest threat
to U.S. national security is a nuclear Iran, yet explicitly rejects Congress'
declaration that it shall be the official policy of the United States that India
will not use its nuclear technology to help develop Iran's nuclear weapons
arsenal," Harkin said in a press release.
'THUMBING HIS NOSE'
In the statement, Bush also said he considered as only "advisory" a
congressional directive prohibiting nuclear transfers to India that conflict
with guidelines of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which the United
States helped establish years ago to restrain nuclear trade.
Democratic Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts said this shows Bush is
"reserving the right to ignore the Nuclear Suppliers Group."
The president is "turning decades of U.S. international policy on its head --
and thumbing his nose at Congress at the same time," added Markey, co-chair of
the House of Representatives task force on non-proliferation.
Before U.S. nuclear exports to India can begin, several other approvals are
needed, including an NSG decision to change its rules prohibiting trade with
India and passage of a second U.S. law.
Some non-proliferation experts worry that if the United States is unable to win
NSG approval -- which must be by unanimous consent -- Bush will let the trade
with India go forward.
The White House and State Department rejected such interpretations of Bush's
statement.
Asked if Bush might ignore the NSG, a State Department official told Reuters:
"No, quite the opposite."
He said that while NSG guidelines are "political commitments," Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice "has been very clear that we're not going to do the
(nuclear) deal without consensus in the NSG."
Meanwhile, a White House official said the statement's treatment of the NSG "is
not regarding any particular intended course of foreign policy or with any
particular practical effect in terms of intended treatment of material (nuclear)
transfer."
Rather, the statement is intended to deal with the "domestic issue of government
power rather than an issue of international nuclear policy," he said.
Justice Department lawyers were concerned the way the law is written meant that
a change in NSG rules would force a change in U.S. law, a U.S. official said.
© Reuters 2006. All rights reserved.
--
--------------------------------------------------------
Escaping the Matrix website http://escapingthematrix.org/
cyberjournal website http://cyberjournal.org
subscribe cyberjournal list mailto:•••@••.•••
Posting archives http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/
Blogs:
cyberjournal forum http://cyberjournal-rkm.blogspot.com/
Achieving real democracy http://harmonization.blogspot.com/
for readers of ETM http://matrixreaders.blogspot.com/
Community Empowerment http://empowermentinitiatives.blogspot.com/
Blogger made easy http://quaylargo.com/help/ezblogger.html
