N-test to have 'most serious' results: Rice

Writes to Senators who have moved amendments; Senate debates nuke deal.

Faced with “killer” amendments tabled by two Democrats in the Senate, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today said a nuclear test by India would result in “most serious consequences”, including automatic cut-off of US cooperation as well as a number of other sanctions.

As the Senate began a debate on a legislation that will put stamp the approval on the Indo-US nuclear deal, Rice wrote a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to go through with the process without amendments, saying the administration would prefer a “clean legislation”.

“I understand that some senators have questions about the impact of an Indian nuclear test on this initiative. We believe the Indian government intends to uphold the continuation of the nuclear testing moratorium it affirmed to the United States in 2005 and reiterated to the broader international community as recently as September 5, 2008,” she said.

The Senate was originally expected to consider the Dorgan and Bingaman amendments pertaining to India conducting a nuclear test. But on the floor, while taking amendments, the Senator from North Dakota, Byron Dorgan, announced that the two amendments would be merged. The merged amendment, if adopted, will ensure that the US ceases nuclear cooperation with India in the event of New Delhi detonating a nuclear weapon.

Appreciating Reid’s consideration of the Bill “within such an extraordinary time-frame”, Rice said they wouldn’t be asking for such exceptional action if they did not believe it was necessary to complete an initiative on which both the administration and Congress had worked hard and on a thoroughly bi-partisan basis since 2005.

Noting that some senators had questions about the impact of an Indian nuclear test on the initiative, Rice told Senator Reid: “Let me reassure you that an Indian test, as I have testified publicly, will result in most serious consequences. Existing US law will require automatic cut-off of cooperation, as well as a number of other sanctions, if India were to test.”

“After 60 continuous session days, the president could waive the termination of cooperation if he determined that the cut-off would be ‘seriously prejudicial’ to US non- proliferation objectives or ‘otherwise jeopardise the common defence and security,’” Rice said.

“You can also help ensure that US industry — just like its international counterparts — is able to engage with India in civil nuclear trade,” Rice said.