The White House changed what many thought was a solid position on India using nuclear power. President Bush said yesterday that he would ask Congress to end long-term sanctions against India.
The event came as a shock to many around the world as President Bush called India’s nuclear behavior “responsible” and that India “should acquire the same benefits and advantages” as other nations with “advanced nuclear technology.”
A number of other items were discussed but the “full civil nuclear energy cooperation” is certainly the most intriguing for a couple of reasons. First, India needs power. As India continues to realize its potential and the standards of living continue to increase, power will be needed to take care of that.
Right now, India gets very little power from nuclear sources, less than 55. Most of their power comes from coal and oil. With over one billion people, power is becoming an absolute necessity, particularly as fossil fuel costs continue to climb. This will allow India a cheaper source of energy, particularly as they progress further and further into the electronic age.
The other major issue is security. The U.S. and China are incredibly intertwined to be so diverse politically, economically and culturally. As China continues to develop militarily and economically, they begin to exude pressure on the U.S. Many hear stories every day about ongoing economic troubles with China, whether it’s CNOOC trying to purchase Unocal or WTO disagreements over textile pricing. Many experts think India will provide an excellent foil for China.
The announcement shocked members of both parties in Congress but in retrospect, the move seems prudent. Most feel this battle won’t be along partisan lines either, it will be proliferation versus non-proliferation and one must keep Iran in the picture too as they argue to be allowed to use nuclear power for their power purpose.
John Stith is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
