The Author has a view that US will cancel the agreement if India tests again. It can happen as "Both parties have a right to terminate the agreement by giving a one year notice."
Author has incorrectly assumed that France and Russia will toe US line in the NSG. India is too big and responsible power for that to happen.
The fear of Author(he must be a BJP supporter} stems from the fact that as a wishful thinker he is hoping Modi (or similar) person becomes India PM and India does what Gujrat did. In such a scenario US and the World will declare India a rogue state (similar to denying Modi US visa) and thus sanctions. A REAL POSSIBILITY.
RE:US Cancels 123 Agreement
by Govindan on Jul 19, 2008 08:56 AM Permalink
Nuclear deal.. I am notgiving much importance to nuclear test. My doubt is about reprocessing the spent fuel to increase the production of weapon grade plutonium for the FBTR. I was given to understand from my study that FBTR requires weapon grade plutonium for sustaining chain reaction in the reactor. This can be achieved only by reprocessing the spent fuel in the uranium reactors. Kindly read the paper report given below:- "But the FBTR still needs an initial inventory of plutonium to kick-start the thorium cycle and eventually to generate electricity. A blanket ban on India re-processing imported uranium - a condition for nuclear cooperation with the US - could make India's thorium programme a non-starter. Iyengar has one suggestion that he says must be acceptable to the US if it is serious about helping India to solve its energy problem.
'The US and Russia have piles of plutonium from dismantled nuclear weapons,' Iyengar told IANS, adding: 'They should allow us to borrow this plutonium needed to start our breeders. We can return the material after we breed enough.'" In the Hyde Act it is clearly written that US President should ensure that plutonium production in India does not increase the day 123 agreement is signed by both the parties. Indirectly this is a cap on our plutonium production and development of FBTR . Indirectly Americans want to stop our development and research work.
RE:US Cancels 123 Agreement
by AK on Jul 19, 2008 01:03 PM Permalink
Mr. Govindan: You raise good points; some of them are within the purview of the 123 and subsequent agreements and others are different debates. We have to first understand where India is today. By signing the agreement would India be worse off, same as before, or better. Banning reprocessing of imported uranium does not put India any worse than where we are today. In fact more plants India separates from military use and makes them totally civilian use and puts them under IAEA agreement, more India can import for these plants thus freeing India’s present resources for military program and FBTR. India does not have to build any more plants; all it has to do is manage its present resources for military use without worrying about the plants already built ONLY for electricity using the same resources. US & Russia supplying to help start our breeders, economic viability of nuclear reactors for electricity, and safe use of nuclear plants, handling of nuclear waste are all different topic of debate and do not put India any worse off than where it is today. Once US Congress passes the 123 Agreement, its own Hyde Act gets superseded. Furthermore internal acts are not binding on a foreign country. India has to look at 123 Agreement and it has nothing against India’s interest. If anything IAEA agreement should be of some concern, mainly CLAUSE 10 and I have mentioned this fact in other forums on rediff.
