February
26, 2008 Bush Team Making All
Out Push for N-deal By Arun Kumar
Washington
The Bush administration here is making an all-out push to finalize
the landmark civil nuclear agreement with India, a deal that the US
president wants to leave as his major lasting legacy as he sprints
towards the end of his term.
"We are in touch with different levels of government throughout -
here and at the National Security Council and the State Department,"
White House press secretary Dana Perino said Monday amid signs of
fresh movement in New Delhi.
"Well, we have a little bit more time, obviously, on the calendar
before the end of the president's term," she said when asked what
Bush thinks about the deal that has stalled so close to the finish
line due to opposition from the Indian government's Left allies.
"But if there's internal pressure in India for them to move more
quickly, I think that's good," said Perino, commenting on the
reported July deadline for the deal set by a group of US senators
during a recent visit to New Delhi.
"And I saw a report today that (Monday) said that there are some
elements within India that are very supportive of getting the deal
done," she added.
Asked if Bush is in touch with anybody in New Delhi to get the deal
done, Perino said: "We are in touch with different levels of
government throughout - here and at the National Security Council
and the State Department."
The White House comments came as Indian President Pratibha Patil
told parliament Monday that India was still hopeful of clinching the
nuclear deal with the US and New Delhi began another round of talks
with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.
The extension to Indian ambassador to the US, Ronen Sen, who was all
set to return home at the end of his term March 31 also assumes
significance in this context. Sen along with Prime Minister's
special envoy Shyam Saran, has been one of India's key interlocutors
on the deal.
Sen's extension came days after US ambassador to India David Mulford
suggested that it was "now or never" for the deal. This was followed
by three senators led by Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate
foreign affairs committee, telling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
that the Congressional clock was ticking towards a July deadline.
But New Delhi still has to contend with a "veto" from its Left
allies before the government approaches the 45-member Nuclear
Suppliers Group after reaching an agreement with the IAEA for
India-specific safeguards for its civilian nuclear reactors.
It's only after India gets clearance from the NSG that governs
global civilian nuclear trade that the implementing 123 agreement
finalized last July can go for a final approval before the US
Congress.
The deal does enjoy bipartisan support in the Congress but its
passage could be complicated by the short legislative calendar ahead
of the Nov 4 election. In case the outgoing Congress fails to
approve the deal, Bush's successor administration could seek
renegotiation of the terms.
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