India Atomic Import Exemption Stalls at Nuclear Group (Update1)

[WhiteTara]

Source: bloomberg

Aug. 22 (Bloomberg) -- A group of nuclear powers, set up 34 years ago to prevent countries from copying India's route to the atomic bomb, delayed a decision on opening trade with New Delhi's government as part of a U.S.-sponsored agreement.

The 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group adjourned its second day of meetings today in Vienna at around 4 p.m. local time. The group needs to vote unanimously to lift the ban on the trade of nuclear fuels and technology, imposed after India tested its first nuclear weapon in 1974.

``Participating governments exchanged views in a constructive manner and agreed to meet again in the near future to continue their deliberations,'' the group said in a statement on its Web site.

The U.S.-Indian agreement would break 34 years of nuclear trade restrictions on India, allowing the world's second-most populous nation to satisfy rising energy demands through the purchase of atomic reactor technology.

snip

``It's a very sneaky way of the administration running rings around the Congress,'' Paul Ingram, London-based co- director of the British American Security Information Council, said today in a telephone interview. ``The U.S. would either have to keep their restrictions and lose contracts to the French and Russians, or repeal the accord in favor of weaker legislation.''

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=ae6Sp8zSwGu0&refer=india

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the bastards are still at it. January 19 can't come soon enough!