Letter urges defeat of controversial amendments to N-deal bill

Just hours before the US House of Representatives takes up for debate and voting the bill that seeks to formalize the US-India civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, its authors Congressmen Henry Hyde (R-Illinois) and Tom Lantos (D-California), chairman and ranking Democrat respectively on the House International Relations Committee, have called on members of the 435-strong House to defeat two amendments sought to be attached to the bill.

The amendments were moved by Congressmen Howard Berman (D-California) and Brad Sherman (D-California), and sought to place restrictions on India's production of fissile material for its nuclear weapons program.

'We strongly recommend that you oppose two controversial amendments to be offered by our colleagues on the Committee, Mr Berman and Mr Sherman', a Dear John letter, signed by Hyde and Lantos and sent to all 435 members of the House earlier on Wednesday morning, says.

Both of these amendments were defeated overwhelmingly, on a bipartisan basis, during Committee consideration of this legislation.
                     
In the letter, Hyde and Lantos point out that the bill -- H.R. 5682, the United States and India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act of 2006 – 'as approved by the Committee already provides that no US civil cooperation shall assist in any way the development of nuclear weapons.

It also states that it is US policy to urge all parties in the region to adopt a fissile material production moratorium.  Finally, it provides detailed reporting to allow Congress to monitor whether the export of nuclear fuel has affected India's rate of production of nuclear explosive devices'.

Outlining the reasons why the Berman-Sherman amendments need to be defeated, Hyde and Lantos argue that 'Mr Berman's amendment provides that no nuclear fuel can be provided to India until it agrees to a fissile material cutoff for its weapons program.  Mr Sherman's amendment would require an annual certification that India has not increased its production of fissile material for its weapons program before US nuclear cooperation can go forward.'

Hyde and Lantos say that in their judgment, 'both these amendments are fundamentally inconsistent with last year's joint statement by President Bush and Prime Minister Singh and will cause the deal to collapse.

'The effect of these amendments would be to end negotiations with India and eliminate what we would otherwise achieve with this deal -- a significant increase in the number of Indian nuclear facilities subject to international safeguards, India's adherence to international export controls, and New Delhi's active support of U.S. nonproliferation objectives.'

The two HIRC leaders also point out that per the terms of the bill, there has to be a second Congressional vote before the nuclear cooperation deal moves forward.

'Congress will therefore have the opportunity to once again examine India's nonproliferation record before final approval is given to nuclear cooperation', the letter says, while urging all members to oppose the Berman-Sherman amendments.