US Senator backs Indo-US N-deal

Washington:At last India is getting some support on its nuclear deal with the United States that had hit a roadblock in the US Congress.

US Senator John Cornyn has urged his colleagues to back President Bush's initiative to transfer civilian nuclear technology to India.

The Texas Republican argued on the Senate floor that the deal is the only way to bring India into the global non-proliferation regime.

Cornyn is the first senator to defend the agreement.

"It is correct that India is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. But India has done this for security reasons," he said.

"The country has decided that it will not be party to the treaty, and no amount of international pressure, persuasion, or cajoling will convince them to do otherwise."

"This is a reality that we face, but the status quo for another 30 years is not acceptable either," Cornyn added.

This is the same argument that Mohamed El-Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, had also used to back the deal.

However Baradei's endorsement had done little to persuade US lawmakers who feared the agreement would set back USA?s own non-proliferation efforts.

The pro India lobby by Senator Cornyn argues that the fear of a set back to USA is baseless.

Support from both the US Senate and the House of Representatives is essential for the agreement to go through as it will require important changes in US export laws.

And at a time when President Bush's approval ratings have hit an all-time low, Senator Cornyn's support is timely and could provide the deal a well-needed boost.