US Congress (Biden) vows to examine nuclear deal with India

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Yahoo News / AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Congress said it would examine a landmark civilian nuclear agreement with India sent for approval by the White House, as leaders of the two countries prepared to meet this month.

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joseph Biden, who heads the Senate foreign relations committee, said the key panel "will act promptly to review the agreement in a hearing, as soon as next week."

Howard Berman, the chairman of the House of Representatives foreign affairs committee, "wants to study" the various documents on the nuclear deal submitted by the White House on Wednesday, his spokeswoman Lynne Weil said.

Berman "voted for the Hyde Act and supports civilian nuclear cooperation with India," she said, referring to a US law adopted in December 2006 laying the foundation for the deal.

The nuclear agreement, signed by President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July 2005, offers India access to Western technology and cheap atomic energy as long as it allows UN nuclear inspections of some of its nuclear facilities.

If Congress endorses the agreement it would lift a three decade-old ban on nuclear trade with India.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080912/wl_asia_afp/usindianuclearvisitsingh

[struggle4progress]

1. Fuel supply not 'legally binding' on US: Bush's letter

NDTV Correspondent

The Indo-US nuclear deal also called the 123 Agreement is with the US Congress now but in what could stir up more controversy in India, US President George W Bush's letter to Congress says the clause on fuel supply assurances is not legally binding on America ...

"In Article 5(6) the Agreement records certain political commitments concerning reliable supply of nuclear fuel given to India. The Agreement does not, however, transform these political commitments into legally binding commitments because the Agreement, like other US agreements of its type, is intended as a framework agreement."

A section of the Indian government is already upset with the secret State Department letter which essentially said that fuel supplies are not assured if India tests.

Indian officials have told NDTV that this goes against the very basis of the agreement and are planning to take this up with Washington.

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080065050&ch=9/12/2008%207:58:00%20AM