The United States Congress is unlikely to okay the landmark India-US nuclear deal this year, says Senator John McCain, the influential Republican front-runner to succeed George W Bush as American president.
The US Congress needed to go through the deal with a fine toothcomb because of the precedent it would set, McCain said in an interview to London's Financial Times.
'I am not saying I will oppose it, but I still would like to hear more argument in its (the deal's favour). I understand our unique relationship with India, but when you carve out an exemption (from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which India is not a signatory), then, of course, you run the risk of others wanting the same exemption,' McCain said.
The Bush administration has been trying to persuade Congress into changing American law to allow civilian nuclear energy cooperation with India.
Non-proliferation hawks maintain that giving India civilian nuclear energy without it being an NPT signatory would be a setback for non-proliferation efforts. If the nuclear deal comes through, New Delhi would be able to import uranium fuel, and its domestic reserves could bolster its military programme, the NPT hawks in the US think.
'We have received assurances that India will not do that but so this is taking a risk. I believe that the Senate needs to be fully briefed and (Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard) Lugar hold hearings, and we go through the regular process. I have a tendency to support it, but I really think we need to be well informed, and I think we need to play our role,' McCain said, adding that 'from what I can tell it is unlikely that we would get that (the nuclear deal) resolved this year.'
Also see:
Complete Coverage: The India-US Nuclear Tango
