01 September 2008

NSG draft ver 2.0: Reax

Reuter's man in Vienna, Mark Heinrich, is a formidable reporter with great contacts so when he writes something, it is worth taking seriously. His dispatch today has initial reactions from unnamed "diplomats" to the revised draft proposal circulated over the weekend seeking an exemption for India from the Nuclear Suppliers Group's export rules:
[D]iplomats said the new waiver text bore only cosmetic changes in the face of Indian insistence on a "clean" exemption and this made it unlikely a follow-up NSG conclave set for Thursday and Friday could agree a solution...

"Agreement looks unlikely this week. The red lines of India and concerned NSG members remain too far apart. India will have to give more," said one diplomat, who like others asked for anonymity as the nuclear bloc's deliberations are confidential.
PTI also quotes the Arms Control Association's Daryll Kimball, making a similar prediction, though his claim about the new draft making "no substantive concessions" rings hollow since it is obvious he hasn't set eyes on the text yet. Kimball and Sharon Squassoni from the CEIP are holding a press conference to denounce the move on September 2. Let's hope they at least get the draft by then...

6 comments:

Unknown said...

The NSG group wants non/proliferation while India wants the Nuke detterence and also nuke trade.they just do not gel and also US knows it has got a frim grip on the politicians and foreign service bureacracy.the trouble is coming from AEC and national security establishment.I hope kakodkar resiGns when the redline is crossed by the POLITICIANS.

Anonymous said...

Siddarth:

It is possible to determine that "no substantive concessions" have been made without seeing the actual text. I stand behind the assertion. DK

Siddharth Varadarajan said...

Oh, I'm pretty sure too, actually, but have learned the hard way to pass judgment after I know the full facts.... But here's hoping you get the text soon... There's a whole bunch of us hacks eagerly monitoring the ACA website for it :-)

Siddharth

PS - It was good to 'square off', as it were, on television tonight though face-to-face would have been more engaging than disembodied voices!

Anonymous said...

This was a good cop / bad cop game, played by US & Europeans aimed at de-nuking India. US being the Good Cop , Objecting nations being Bad Cops. With a objective of taking ot Indias nuclear weapons and its ability to make them in future.
If they succeed India will belike a Georgia of sorts, against China, begging for NATO cover. That may be what west wants , India to buy expensive protection from them . It will be stupid to sign away nukes or ability to mantain them in future.

Anonymous said...

India will be open to Chinas shock & awe military operation in any future boarder conflict. Indian boarder is volatile all around to say the least without nuclear weapons it stands naked against Chinas ever growing military and newer nuclear weapons.
World is a fast changing place, just look into past 50 - 100 years for proof no one has seen the future. Nuclear weapons are the ONLY guaranty, to prevent interest altering wars and compromises being imposed on countries. It kept USA and USSR from going to all out war for 50 years. It will be a colossal mistake of the new century for a country of billion people strong India to give up nuclear weapons and submit to the goodwill and mercy of others, to dictate your defense. Even countries like France do not compromise on things like that.
India has plenty of scientific brain to perfect and roll out thorium cycle reactors, to use for power generation. India has second largest reserves of thorium in the world. India needs to create a fully funded project even with IITs involved to make this happen.

Anonymous said...

Mr Varadarajan - I saw your debate on NDTV with Mr Kimbal. And I would like to ask, we Indians seem to fall over backwards to give critics like Kimball space and time. How many times have you been interviewed on BBC and CNN?