The Hindu Business Line : Berman supports N-deal; but opposes arms race

WASHINGTON: Prominent US lawmaker Mr Howard Berman, a vocal critic of the Indo-US nuclear deal, has now come out in support of cooperation on nuclear energy with India, but maintained that he opposes policies that can undermine non-proliferation standard s.

“I support cooperation on civilian nuclear energy with India. I oppose policies that would lead to a nuclear arms race or undermine proliferation standards,” Mr Berman, Chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement issued from Van Nuys, California.

He also said if the US administration wants to seek special procedure to speed Congressional consideration of the accord, it should show how the NSG decision is consistent with the Hyde Act, including which technology can be sent to India and what impact a nuclear test by New Delhi would have.

The Californian Democrat who raised a political storm in India by releasing on the eve of NSG meeting responses by the State Department to questions posed by his predecessor Mr Tom Lantos, said, “before we vote, Congress needs to study the NSG decision, along with any agreements that were made behind the scenes to bring it about.”

“The burden of proof is on the Bush Administration so that Congress can be assured that what we're being asked to approve conforms with US law,” he added.

Mr Berman in his statement pointed out that in an appearance before the Foreign Affairs Committee on February 13, Secretary of State Ms Condoleezza Rice had assured him that any NSG decision “will have to be completely consistent with the obligations of the Hyde Act”.

In an interview with New York Times published yesterday, Mr Berman had said the Congress should not rush through the deal until the Administration proved that it did not cut any “side deals” at the NSG to get the waiver for India. - PTI

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