U.S. Nuclear Cooperation With India: Issues for Congress

Abstract

In 1974, India exploded a "peaceful" nuclear device and demonstrated that nuclear technology transferred for peaceful purposes could be used to produce nuclear weapons. As a result, the United States has refused nuclear cooperation with India for twenty-five years and has convinced other states to do the same. On July 18, 2005, President Bush announced a new global partnership with India to promote stability, democracy, prosperity and peace. The desire to transform relations with India, according to Administration officials, is "founded upon a strategic vision that transcends even today's most pressing security concerns." Nuclear cooperation is one element of that strategic vision. President Bush said he would "work to achieve full civil nuclear energy cooperation with India" and would "also seek agreement from Congress to adjust U.S. laws and policies." Administration officials have described the agreement as a "win" for nonproliferation because it would bring India into the nonproliferation mainstream. At a time when the United States has called for all states to strengthen their domestic export control laws and for tighter multilateral controls, U.S. nuclear cooperation with India would require loosening its own nuclear export legislation, as well as creating an Nuclear Suppliers Group exception. It would reverse nearly three decades of U.S. nonproliferation policy and practice towards India. Many observers believe India requires a new paradigm, but some of those also believe the agreement should contain additional restrictions, like a ban on further nuclear material production for Indian nuclear weapons. Some believe this agreement undercuts the basic bargain of the NPT, could undermine hard-won restrictions on nuclear supply, and could prompt some suppliers, like China, to justify supplying other states outside the NPT regime, like Pakistan.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 24, 2005
Accession Number
ADA478238

Entities

People

  • Sharon Squassoni

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arms Control
  • Congress
  • Explosive Devices
  • Explosives
  • Fissile Materials
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • Law
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Nuclear Fuels
  • Nuclear Materials
  • Nuclear Reactors
  • Treaties

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Strategic Security Studies