U.S. seeks way out of India nuclear deal impasse

Reuters
Aug 29, 2008

VIENNA: The United States has told six nations its bid to lift a global ban on nuclear trade with India has stumbled over their objections and pressed them at a New Delhi meeting to relent, diplomats said on Friday. Members of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group have balked at approving a waiver to its rules allowing business with India without conditions to help finalize Washington's 2005 civilian nuclear cooperation deal with New Delhi. An August 21-22 NSG meeting dissolved inconclusively after up to 20 member states called for changes to the U.S. waiver draft to ensure Indian access to foreign nuclear markets would not indirectly benefit its atomic bomb program. The U.S.-India deal has dismayed pro-disarmament nations and campaigners since India is outside the global Non-Proliferation Treaty and developed nuclear bombs in the 1970s with Western technology imported ostensibly for peaceful atomic energy.