Argument

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement will make a major contribution to India's energy supply. >>

Access to nuclear technology and materials — especially uranium fuel — will enable a significant expansion of India's nuclear-power industry. >>

Note: this expansion will occur from an extremely low base. >>

Nuclear power accounts for 2.5% of India's energy supply. >>

President Jacques Chirac of France also offered his blessings late Thursday, calling India "a responsible power" and saying access to civilian nuclear energy would help India "respond to its immense energy needs while limiting its emissions of greenhouse gases." -- Agence France-Presse reported >>

India's plans to expand massively its capacity to generate power from coal and natural gas are far more important >>

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement will improve international nuclear non-proliferation efforts. >>

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement will 'prevent' India from a test of nuclear weapons. >>

All civilian-nuclear supplies would be halted in the event of another nuclear-weapons test by India. -- According to The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement >>

US law would require a suspension of supplies in the event of a nuclear-weapons test by India. -- According to many US lawmakers >>

Indian negotiators insist that they have not signed away their right to test nuclear weapons. >>

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement will bring India into the non-proliferation fold. >>

India has agreed to allow international inspectors of the IAEA to monitor some of its nuclear facilities >>

India's willingness to subject some of its nuclear program to inspections is meaningless so long as the country had a secret military nuclear program alongside it >>

"It's not meaningful to talk about 14 of the 22 reactors being placed under safeguards. What's meaningful is what the Indians can do at the unsafeguarded reactors, which is vastly increase their production of fissile material for nuclear weapons. One has to assume that the administration was so interested in concluding a deal that it was prepared to cave in to the demands of the Indian nuclear establishment." -- Robert J. Einhorn, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, who served as a top nonproliferation official in the Clinton administration and the early days of the Bush administration >>

"India is unique. It has developed its entire nuclear program over 30 years alone because it had been isolated. So the question we faced was the following: Is it better to maintain India in isolation, or is it better to try to bring it into the international mainstream? And President Bush felt the latter." -- R. Nicholas Burns, US under secretary of state for political affairs and the administration's point man in the nuclear talks, told reporters at a briefing in New Delhi >>

"This agreement is an important step towards satisfying India's growing need for energy, including nuclear technology and fuel, as an engine for development. It would also bring India closer as an important partner in the nonproliferation regime." -- Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of International Atomic Energy Agency >>

"A good nuclear deal with India could reduce the likelihood that Pakistan and others will scramble to build extra bombs." -- Editorial in the Washington Post >>

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement will not permanently damage international nuclear non-proliferation efforts. >>

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement sends a mixed message to potential proliferators by seeming to reward nuclear misbehaviour >>

"It will set a precedent that Iran will use to argue that the United States has a double standard. You can't break the rules and expect Iran to play by them, and that's what President Bush is doing today." -- Representative Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, a leading opponent of the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement >>

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement will aid India's nuclear-weapons programme >>

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement allows India to develop far more nuclear arms, and more quickly, than it has in the past. >>

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement keeps the fast-breeder reactors under military control (meaning: without inspections]. >>

Fast-breeder reactors are highly efficient producers of the plutonium needed for nuclear weapons >>

Nuclear trade between members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and India will be limited to civilian-use technologies and equipment >>

It is possible that dual-use nuclear equipment could find its way into the military's hands. >>

Since India will be able to use imported nuclear fuel to run its nuclear power plants, more of its scarce domestic supply will be at the disposal of its weapons programmes. >>

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement wil cement a strategic partnership between India and USA. >>

The Bush administration [ ... ] signalled its willingness to enter into an Indo-US nuclear deal that would effectively rewrite both US domestic and international (Nuclear Supplier Group) rules and norms to reward a rule-breaker (India) on nuclear proliferation matters in return for India’s strategic realignment with the US. The bargain was perfectly understood in both governments. -- Achin Vanaik, professor of international relations and global politics at Delhi University, founding member of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace >>

India has traditional a preference for strategic non-alignment. >>

India's goal is balanced relations with both the USA and China. >>

China is India's largest trading partner. >>

Bilateral trade between China and India reached 24.86 billion U.S. dollars. >>

The US-India civilian-nuclear deal is good for the USA economy. >>

"With India's 34-year nuclear isolation now history, the opportunity for US companies today is tremendous, with an expected 30,000 to 60,000 MWe of new nuclear generating capacity by 2030, representing a potential $150 billion of new investment. If US companies are allowed to compete, a modest share of that business could support 250,000 high-tech American jobs. Moreover, the nuclear business would be a fraction of the broader commercial gain across all sectors after this foundation, established of mutual trust and respect, is laid." -- R Bruce Josten, chairman of US Chamber of Commerce, in a letter to US Congress. >>

The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement is likely to be closely followed by major Indian purchases of conventional weapons from US defence contractors. >>

At the ndo-US civilian nuclear agreement news conference, Mr. Bush and Mr. Singh announced additional cooperative agreements on counterterrorism, fighting AIDS in India and trade, including the importing to the United States of Indian mangoes >>