India's pyrrhic victory

Indian aspirations to secure acceptance of the controversial nuclear deal with USA reached a major snag on the eve of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meeting at Vienna late last week. A US State Department 26-page letter to the late Congressman Tom Lantos written on January 16, but made public last week by Howard Berman, who succeeded Mr Lantos (who expired in February 2008) as US House International Relations Committee chief, released the correspondence to Washington Post, made it clear that the US will terminate all nuclear cooperation, including fuel supply, if India conducts a nuclear test. The letter reinforces the supremacy of America's Hyde Act over its 123 Agreement with India but negates some of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statements within the Indian Parliament and outside: that the nuclear deal does not in any way affect India's right to test; and that the deal would ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel. The document, while not classified, was kept secret due to a state department "gag" order. Washington Post said the US feared any disclosure would lead to the toppling of the Manmohan Singh government.