Bush sends India nuclear request to Congress: sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Bush administration on Thursday
submitted to Congress its proposal to change U.S. law to allow
the sale of nuclear technology to India, congressional sources
said.

The sources told Reuters the administration wants the first
of two needed legislative steps enacted by May, but said this
would be difficult because the bill raises questions about an
already complicated and controversial nuclear deal.

Approved in principle last July and confirmed in more
detail last week by President George W. Bush and Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh, the agreement would end a three
decades-old ban on U.S. civilian nuclear technology sales.

But it must first be approved by the U.S. Congress.

The 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group, which oversees
nuclear transfers, also must alter its regulations so foreign
countries can supply India, whose rapid economic growth has
created huge energy demands.

India is currently barred under U.S and international law
from acquiring foreign nuclear technology because it refused to
sign the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and developed nuclear
weapons.

The U.S. approval would be a two-step approach, according
to the congressional sources familiar with the India case and
who were not authorized to speak publicly. Key sections of the
legislation were made available to Reuters.

As a first step, the administration’s proposal would exempt
India from the Atomic Energy Act, which prohibits nuclear sales
to non-NPT states, if Bush makes seven determinations.

These include India providing Washington with a “credible”
plan for separating its civilian and military nuclear
facilities and supporting international efforts to prevent the
spread of nuclear enrichment and reprocessing technology.

Although Bush and Singh announced that India would place 14
of 22 civilian nuclear power reactors under international
inspections to guard against weapons diversion, one
congressional source said the data sent to Congress on this
point was incomplete.

Daryl Kimball of the Washington-based Arms Control
Association called the presidential determinations “minimal”
and said they give the United States “virtually no leverage to
ensure India fulfills its end of the bargain.”

In addition to obtaining the Atomic Energy Act exemption,
the administration must negotiate a nuclear cooperation
agreement with India, which sources said could take a year.

That agreement must also be approved by Congress.

But the sources said the administration has proposed that
instead of requiring lawmakers to vote in favor of the
agreement, the accord would automatically take effect unless
Congress moved to block it.

“They want us to change the law and give up the ability of
having a higher standard for reviewing this unique agreement,
one Congressional source said. “If the deal is so good, why are
they so afraid of letting Congress consider it.”