Democrats may not thwart N-deal
The Democrats are unlikely to overturn the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal if they come to power in the US, claims a former aide to former US president Bill Clinton.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: The Democrats are unlikely to overturn the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal if they come to power in the US, claims a former aide to former US president Bill Clinton.
James Steinberg, who is now dean of Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, said a Democrat administration is more likely to push for a new non-proliferation regime in place of the existing one, but it would not scrap the nuclear deal. “I can’t imagine the Democrats would undo (the agreement). But after the deal they would deal with the issue of non-proliferation which is right now failing miserably,” he said here addressing a think tank session here.
With the Bush administration’s tenure coming to an end next year, India and the US have a tight timeline to complete all the steps for the operationalisation of the nuclear deal. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the government’s ability to carry through the deal and the BJP’s assertion that it would renegotiate the deal if it comes back to power, a debate is underway on whether the Democrats with their non-proliferation streak would go in far a civilian nuclear agreement with India. But Mr Steinberg, who has served as deputy national security advisor to Mr Clinton, said the Democrats were looking at the larger issue of stemming proliferation and global disarmament.
“For Democrat candidates, issue of non-proliferation is a central preoccupation. What you are likely to see is an effort to take a wider approach. In stead of trying to reopen, they will try to put issue of non-proliferation in broader terms,” he said.
Mr Steinberg talking on ‘Strategic choices for the United States in the 2008 election and their implication for US-India relations’ said, “It is important to have a sustained dialogue to build trust and confidence as part of stronger Indo-US relation. We are on the verge of decision time in the US. It is a very significant election as foreign policy and national security issues will play a major role in selection of a presidential candidate.”
In a criticism of the policies of the Bush administration, Mr Steinberg pointed out that a strategic alliance with the US could cost India dearly if the US continued to label it’s fight against terrorism as a fight against militant Islam and a clash of civilisations. “This has lead many countries like Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia, with sizable Muslim populations, to distance themselves from the US,” he said.
Mr Steinberg, however, indicated that this would not be the case if the Democrats came back to power. He pointed out that in the run-up to the presidential elections, the Republican and Democrat candidates were using different languages to describe terrorists. For example, he said, Senator Hillary Clinton said the fight was against al-Qaeda, but has never mentioned Islamic fundamentalists. On whether outsourcing would become an issue in the elections, he said the effort would be more towards social safety.
On the emergence of China as a global economic power, Mr. Steinberg said India and the US should try and draw up a blue print to engage China rather than to try and contain China. In this environment, he said, many candidates, including Senator Hillary Clinton, were questioning the viability of continuing to negotiate free trade agreements.
James Steinberg, who is now dean of Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, said a Democrat administration is more likely to push for a new non-proliferation regime in place of the existing one, but it would not scrap the nuclear deal. “I can’t imagine the Democrats would undo (the agreement). But after the deal they would deal with the issue of non-proliferation which is right now failing miserably,” he said here addressing a think tank session here.
With the Bush administration’s tenure coming to an end next year, India and the US have a tight timeline to complete all the steps for the operationalisation of the nuclear deal. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the government’s ability to carry through the deal and the BJP’s assertion that it would renegotiate the deal if it comes back to power, a debate is underway on whether the Democrats with their non-proliferation streak would go in far a civilian nuclear agreement with India. But Mr Steinberg, who has served as deputy national security advisor to Mr Clinton, said the Democrats were looking at the larger issue of stemming proliferation and global disarmament.
“For Democrat candidates, issue of non-proliferation is a central preoccupation. What you are likely to see is an effort to take a wider approach. In stead of trying to reopen, they will try to put issue of non-proliferation in broader terms,” he said.
Mr Steinberg talking on ‘Strategic choices for the United States in the 2008 election and their implication for US-India relations’ said, “It is important to have a sustained dialogue to build trust and confidence as part of stronger Indo-US relation. We are on the verge of decision time in the US. It is a very significant election as foreign policy and national security issues will play a major role in selection of a presidential candidate.”
In a criticism of the policies of the Bush administration, Mr Steinberg pointed out that a strategic alliance with the US could cost India dearly if the US continued to label it’s fight against terrorism as a fight against militant Islam and a clash of civilisations. “This has lead many countries like Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia, with sizable Muslim populations, to distance themselves from the US,” he said.
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Mr Steinberg, however, indicated that this would not be the case if the Democrats came back to power. He pointed out that in the run-up to the presidential elections, the Republican and Democrat candidates were using different languages to describe terrorists. For example, he said, Senator Hillary Clinton said the fight was against al-Qaeda, but has never mentioned Islamic fundamentalists. On whether outsourcing would become an issue in the elections, he said the effort would be more towards social safety.
On the emergence of China as a global economic power, Mr. Steinberg said India and the US should try and draw up a blue print to engage China rather than to try and contain China. In this environment, he said, many candidates, including Senator Hillary Clinton, were questioning the viability of continuing to negotiate free trade agreements.
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