Nuclear(er) India

Indian Prime Minister Mamohan Singh spoke before Congress in order to get their support for the dissolution of laws that would prevent the United States from forwarding nuclear materials to India (we placed nuclear sanctions on India for detonating bombs in 1998). President Bush is all for the initiative.

During an Oval Office meeting, the two leaders broke new ground on nuclear power, with Bush offering U.S. help in India's civilian nuclear program despite its military nuclear capabilities and its refusal to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. India remains one of only four states that have not signed the treaty.

According to a joint statement issued after their meeting, Bush "stated that as a responsible state with advanced nuclear technology, India should acquire the same benefits and advantages as other such states."

What I think complicates the situation exponentially is that it could certainly put a dent in the United States' recent honeymoon with Pakistan, a nation that also has a nuclear arsenal, and was on the brink of nuclear war with India back in 1998.

And certainly, there are other concerns in all of this:

While improved relations with India are desirable, "it's unfortunate they picked the nuclear area and the missile/space areas in which to do this because it really erodes certain fundamental principles," said Leonard Spector of the Monterey Institute's Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

The belief that the spread of nuclear weapons must be curbed "is being trumped by a view that there are worthy holders of nuclear weapons and unworthy holders and that universal rules are going to be modified in a way that favors those countries considered more worthy," added Spector, a former Clinton administration official.

At least the President is consistant though. In the first presidential debate, he was deliberate in his opposition to nuclear proliferation in the hands of terrorists, as opposed to Senator Kerry's opposition to proliferation entirely, which is also consistant with his desire to expand non-military nuclear technologies. At the risk of making an understatement, it doesn't change the fact that any way you cut it, nuclear technology is dangerous and accidents are long term problems.