India, US seal nuclear deal amid anti-Bush protests

NEW DELHI – India and the United States sealed a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation pact yesterday, the centrepiece of President George W.

Bush’s first visit to the world’s largest democracy. The pact marks a major breakthrough for New Delhi, long treated as a nuclear pariah by the world, as it allows it to access American atomic technology and fuel to meet its soaring energy needs – provided US Congress gives its approval.It is also expected to allow atomic trade between India and other nuclear powers if the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an informal group of nations that controls global nuclear transactions, follows suit by lifting curbs on New Delhi.”We have concluded an historic agreement today on nuclear power,” Bush told a joint news conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after their summit talks.”I am looking forward to working with our United States Congress to change decades of law that will enable us to move forward in this important initiative,” he said.”What this agreement says is things change, times change …this agreement is in our interest and therefore I am confident we can sell this to our Congress.”While the leaders celebrated the deal in the capital, protesters were on the streets demonising Bush.His visit has inflamed passions among communist and Muslim groups opposed to American policies such as the invasion of Iraq.In the capital, thousands of communists and socialist party activists marched through the heart of the city, many wearing red caps and waving red flags.”Beat up Bush with slippers” some activists shouted while others held placards that said “Imperialist, Barbarian Bush Go Back” and “Alert, Deadly Bushfire has arrived in India”.The nuclear deal has been opposed by members of the US Congress because India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.But US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said he expected “broad-scale international support” for the deal.Singh said he was particularly pleased that the two countries had been able to clinch the deal.”I have met the president a number of times and on each occasion I have admired his vision …and his commitment to strengthen our bilateral relations,” Singh said.”Our discussions today make me confident that there is no limits to Indo-US partnerships.”Negotiations went down to the wire as the two sides struggled to bridge key differences over India’s plan to separate its military and civilian nuclear plants and open the latter to international inspections to prevent proliferation.As Bush met Singh in India, a car bomb killed five people outside the US consulate and Marriott Hotel in Karachi in neighbouring Pakistan, the country that is next on the itinerary of Bush’s South Asia tour.Bush said at least one US citizen, a foreign service officer, was among those killed, but said he would not be put off from visiting the country, a key ally in his war on terror.Bush arrived in the Indian capital on Wednesday after a surprise visit to Afghanistan, where thousands of US troops are still hunting down the architects of the Sept.11 attacks.The three-day visit, the fifth by a US president to India, was seen as a recognition in Washington of the strategic and economic significance of India after decades of mistrust between the two countries.Tens of thousands of protesters, including communists, Muslims and student activists, demonstrated in several Indian cities, burning effigies of Bush, marching through market places, shouting slogans and holding banners and placards denouncing him.- Nampa-ReutersThe pact marks a major breakthrough for New Delhi, long treated as a nuclear pariah by the world, as it allows it to access American atomic technology and fuel to meet its soaring energy needs – provided US Congress gives its approval.It is also expected to allow atomic trade between India and other nuclear powers if the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an informal group of nations that controls global nuclear transactions, follows suit by lifting curbs on New Delhi.”We have concluded an historic agreement today on nuclear power,” Bush told a joint news conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after their summit talks.”I am looking forward to working with our United States Congress to change decades of law that will enable us to move forward in this important initiative,” he said.”What this agreement says is things change, times change …this agreement is in our interest and therefore I am confident we can sell this to our Congress.”While the leaders celebrated the deal in the capital, protesters were on the streets demonising Bush.His visit has inflamed passions among communist and Muslim groups opposed to American policies such as the invasion of Iraq.In the capital, thousands of communists and socialist party activists marched through the heart of the city, many wearing red caps and waving red flags.”Beat up Bush with slippers” some activists shouted while others held placards that said “Imperialist, Barbarian Bush Go Back” and “Alert, Deadly Bushfire has arrived in India”.The nuclear deal has been opposed by members of the US Congress because India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.But US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said he expected “broad-scale international support” for the deal.Singh said he was particularly pleased that the two countries had been able to clinch the deal.”I have met the president a number of times and on each occasion I have admired his vision …and his commitment to strengthen our bilateral relations,” Singh said.”Our discussions today make me confident that there is no limits to Indo-US partnerships.”Negotiations went down to the wire as the two sides struggled to bridge key differences over India’s plan to separate its military and civilian nuclear plants and open the latter to international inspections to prevent proliferation.As Bush met Singh in India, a car bomb killed five people outside the US consulate and Marriott Hotel in Karachi in neighbouring Pakistan, the country that is next on the itinerary of Bush’s South Asia tour.Bush said at least one US citizen, a foreign service officer, was among those killed, but said he would not be put off from visiting the country, a key ally in his war on terror.Bush arrived in the Indian capital on Wednesday after a surprise visit to Afghanistan, where thousands of US troops are still hunting down the architects of the Sept.11 attacks.The three-day visit, the fifth by a US president to India, was seen as a recognition in Washington of the strategic and economic significance of India after decades of mistrust between the two countries.Tens of thousands of protesters, including communists, Muslims and student activists, demonstrated in several Indian cities, burning effigies of Bush, marching through market places, shouting slogans and holding banners and placards denouncing him.- Nampa-Reuters