Congress Passes US-India Nuclear Bill

On Friday, Congress gave its final approval to allow the export of civilian nuclear fuel and reactors to India for the first time in 30 years reported the Washington Post. The Bush administration claim that this will increase cooperation with the world accelerate India's rise as a counterweight to China; Republican and Democratic supporters argue that this will also provide millions of dollars in sales for the American energy industry. Critics however contend that the deal will allow India's existing nuclear reactors to be devoted solely to producing fuel for nuclear weapons, damage ties with China and Pakistan, as well as worsen negotiations with Iran.