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Bush allays India's fear, says N-deal provisions only advisory
WASHINGTON: President Bush and his successors in the White House will call the shots on the US-India nuclear cooperation bill keeping in mind US foreign policy and national security objectives notwithstanding Congressional guidelines, it has been revealed.
In a White House statement issued late Monday, President Bush indicated that inasmuch as Congress had written several policy prescriptions in the bill, including suggesting oversight on India's nuclear arsenal and its outlook on Iran, his approval of the Hyde Act ''does not constitute my adoption of the statements of policy as U.S foreign policy.''
"Given the Constitution's commitment to the presidency of the authority to conduct the nation's foreign affairs, the executive branch shall construe such policy statements as advisory," Bush said in a clarification that is evidently aimed at not only asserting White House primacy, but also addressing restive Indian opinion about certain Congressional provisions and prescriptions in the bill.
Bush specifically cited sections 103 and 104 (d) (2) of the bill in claiming White House authority, while assuring that the executive would give ''the due weight that comity between the legislative and executive branches should require, to the extent consistent with U.S. foreign policy.''
Section 103 contains a number of prescriptions that had driven many Indian critics of the bill apoplectic. Although cited as a non-binding section, it called for restriction of reprocessing and enrichment equipment and technologies and achieving a moratorium on the production of fissile material by India, Pakistan, and China. Section 104 governs U.S actions through the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Bush also cited several other sections, including the dreaded 109 (which was seen in India as allowing intrusive monitoring of its weapons program) to say that the executive would only reveal information in a manner that would not impair foreign relations, national security, or the deliberative processes of the executive.
Shorn of verbiage, it means that the U.S President will determine the contours of the U.S-India nuclear deal depending on White House perception of national and international aims and objectives. If the White House decides that India needs some wiggle room, Bush (and his successors) can dance around the more restrictive provisions and reporting requirements in the bill.
While this may not necessarily mollify critics in India (since the executive will still have a handle on the whole issue and can always prompt Congress, as was done with Pakistan with the Pressler Amendment), Bush and his aides stressed the big strategic picture several times on Monday as opponents of the deal fretted about the nuts and bolts.
"The (HYDE) Act will strengthen the strategic relationship between the United States and India and deliver valuable benefits to both nations," Bush said in his evening statement, with the emphasis clearly on the strategic relationship aspect.
Bush aide and pointman for the nuclear negotiations Nicholas Burns also emphasized this aspect, telling the White House press corps in the morning that "there's a larger story here, and that is that the United States is making a strategic move to build a new relationship with India."
"This has always been the ultimate unfulfilled relationship since partition in 1947. I think every American administration since then... has had the ambition to have a full relationship with India. It's never materialized. We think it's materializing now," Burns said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ovisions_only_advisory/articleshow/855414.cms
WASHINGTON: President Bush and his successors in the White House will call the shots on the US-India nuclear cooperation bill keeping in mind US foreign policy and national security objectives notwithstanding Congressional guidelines, it has been revealed.
In a White House statement issued late Monday, President Bush indicated that inasmuch as Congress had written several policy prescriptions in the bill, including suggesting oversight on India's nuclear arsenal and its outlook on Iran, his approval of the Hyde Act ''does not constitute my adoption of the statements of policy as U.S foreign policy.''
"Given the Constitution's commitment to the presidency of the authority to conduct the nation's foreign affairs, the executive branch shall construe such policy statements as advisory," Bush said in a clarification that is evidently aimed at not only asserting White House primacy, but also addressing restive Indian opinion about certain Congressional provisions and prescriptions in the bill.
Bush specifically cited sections 103 and 104 (d) (2) of the bill in claiming White House authority, while assuring that the executive would give ''the due weight that comity between the legislative and executive branches should require, to the extent consistent with U.S. foreign policy.''
Section 103 contains a number of prescriptions that had driven many Indian critics of the bill apoplectic. Although cited as a non-binding section, it called for restriction of reprocessing and enrichment equipment and technologies and achieving a moratorium on the production of fissile material by India, Pakistan, and China. Section 104 governs U.S actions through the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Bush also cited several other sections, including the dreaded 109 (which was seen in India as allowing intrusive monitoring of its weapons program) to say that the executive would only reveal information in a manner that would not impair foreign relations, national security, or the deliberative processes of the executive.
Shorn of verbiage, it means that the U.S President will determine the contours of the U.S-India nuclear deal depending on White House perception of national and international aims and objectives. If the White House decides that India needs some wiggle room, Bush (and his successors) can dance around the more restrictive provisions and reporting requirements in the bill.
While this may not necessarily mollify critics in India (since the executive will still have a handle on the whole issue and can always prompt Congress, as was done with Pakistan with the Pressler Amendment), Bush and his aides stressed the big strategic picture several times on Monday as opponents of the deal fretted about the nuts and bolts.
"The (HYDE) Act will strengthen the strategic relationship between the United States and India and deliver valuable benefits to both nations," Bush said in his evening statement, with the emphasis clearly on the strategic relationship aspect.
Bush aide and pointman for the nuclear negotiations Nicholas Burns also emphasized this aspect, telling the White House press corps in the morning that "there's a larger story here, and that is that the United States is making a strategic move to build a new relationship with India."
"This has always been the ultimate unfulfilled relationship since partition in 1947. I think every American administration since then... has had the ambition to have a full relationship with India. It's never materialized. We think it's materializing now," Burns said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ovisions_only_advisory/articleshow/855414.cms
