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New Delhi, April 26: Talking about India-US relations which after years of mistrust had taken a turn for the better, former US ambassador to India Robert Blackwill has expressed hope that the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement would be approved by the US Congress provided it did not fail the June end deadline.
At an interactive session on ‘India’s rise as a great power and US India Relations’ organised by the CII, Mr Blackwill, currently president Barbour Griffith and Rogers International, said, “I am optimistic that a significant majority in both Houses of the US Congress will vote for it when the voting happens in the present form as it is being formulated.”
He added that if the deal was not approved by June end then it would be delayed indefinitely for in September when the Congress re-assembles it would be pre-occupied with the election of representatives.
However, he clarified that the Congress would have no problem in clearing the nuclear deal and arguments like Pakistan too would like to have a similar deal and that it would impact the non-proliferation regime would not act as obstacles.“They would approve it on the basis of strategic long term relation with India,” he said. He asserted that it was now in America’s interest to maintain its good relations with India due to factors such as rise in Islamic terrorism, Chinese power and energy security.
Regarding Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism, the former ambassador cautioned India to think seriously about its Muslim population. “Can India remain completely immune to its Muslim population given the kind of islamic terrorism that is rising in the middle East?,” he asked, adding that this would have implications in the Indian as well as global economy.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Blackwill stated that the adamant stand taken by Iran on the nuclear issue left only two choices and both had dangerous connotations- either to acquiesce with the stand or go in for military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.
He said the US was trying to avoid the second option but the statement made by the Iranian President on Tuesday promising nuclear assistance to Sudan left little hope for any peaceful alternative. He asserted that war would be the last thing that the world would like as it would evoke immediate Iranian response, lead to volcanic reaction among the Islamic countries, a rise in oil prices and doubts as to whether this action would act as a deterrent against future...
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