20060302
    In the delicate pattern of the nuclear dance, the US and India both took a delicate and complicated step in the right direction. The nuclear treaty affirmed today between President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is the first step in an ongoing attempt to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons in a region already plagued the threat.
    While the treaty, which opens some of India’s reactors to inspection, leaves India’s weapons program essentially intact, it opens the door for cooperation on the subject of non-proliferation, especially considering that India is not a signatory to the global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
    This is an important step, given the recent turmoil created by Iran’s program and given the fact that both India and Pakistan developed a nuclear capacity without the West’s awareness. This step lends credence to the world’s wider endeavor to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, especially to prevent those weapons from falling into terrorist hands.
    It is entirely likely that the latter consideration is one of the greatest reasons that India chose to agree to such a treaty. Like the US, India is likely to be on the short list of potential target countries should Islamic terrorists find themselves in possession of a nuclear weapon. Preventing that scenario from coming to fruition must constantly be on India’s mind.
    That being said, the West should use the newfound relationship and agreement between the US and India as a model for how future agreements can be reached. Granted that the US dealings with India have been from one legitimate government to another, and India already has nuclear weapons, but the cooperation possible between these two nations creates slim hope that the same cooperation can be achieved with other nations seeking nuclear ambitions.
DLH
