Britain to allow export of civil nuclear technology to India

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Move likely to raise fears of leakage to military nuclear programme

Nicholas Watt in Bangalore
Wednesday July 28 2010 07.45 BST

Britain is to follow the example of the United States and allow the export of civil nuclear technology and expertise to India.

The move, which is the most dramatic illustration of a new special relationship David Cameron is hoping to forge with India, will prove controversial because Delhi is not a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Labour backed away from offering co-operation to India on civil nuclear power amid fears that there would be leakage to its military nuclear programme.

The US sanctioned the use of civil nuclear technology to India in 2008 and Britain's business department has lobbied for an equally open approach. The Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office have been wary of exporting civil nuclear technology to India for fear of upsetting Pakistan and because of fears about links between Delhi's civil and military nuclear programmes.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/28/britain-nuclear-technology-india

[cosmicone]

1. Only two things that George W. Bush did right...

1. an unprecedented funding for AIDS and 2. US-India nuclear cooperation treaty.

Britain is a latecomer to the party and lost billions of dollars in nuclear trade which has been mostly gobbled by France, Russia and the US so far.

What really made me chuckle was "fear of upsetting Pakistan" ... oh come on, Pakistanis are the ones who committed terrorist acts in Britain and almost all British terrorists are of Pakistani origin!!