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"A decision will have to be made as to whether or not we should take the position of whether or not India is willing to support the 123 Agreement and get it through their Parliament," said Republican Senator George Voinovich in the course of a teleconference.
"...Our passing it would be very significant to Members of the Parliament in India... who can say 'Look the US has passed it, the Nuclear Suppliers are comfortable with it and the International Atomic Energy Agency is happy with it and all we need now is get it passed and that will make it a reality,'" Voinovich said.
The Ohio Senator, who sits in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said there may be some in the Senate "who take the position... why should we get involved when India won't get it done... and end up with nothing".
"It is a question of timing," he added.
"It will be great if they (the Manmohan Singh government) get it through their Parliament. I think that would set the stage for us to do the same here in the United States. I think as long as it is held up there it may have influence on us... But I think we should have a look at it," Voinovich said.
"Would our passage help give them some more clout in terms of getting it through the Parliament? That's something we would have to look at," he added.
Voinovich expressed confidence that talks between India and the IAEA on the safeguards agreement will be completed "in the next couple of months", and said the US will "take care" of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, whose clearance is also necessary to operationalise the nuclear deal.
"You should feel good that the agreement with the NSG... the United States can take care of that. We are not worried about that," the Republican Senator said.
"We have also got to get a sign off on the International Atomic Energy Agency... a couple of years ago they told me that India spends more time talking with them than many of the countries that have signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. I don't think there's going to be any problem with (IAEA chief) ElBaradei getting it signed," he added.
Voinovich, who recently met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi during a visit, said the Indian leader was one of the most "responsible leaders" the country has produced and he has done an "outstanding job".
"I know that the Prime Minister is going to do everything he can to get it passed but that is a real problem and that is not the only problem. If the government goes down and the BJP comes back we are going to get rid of Prime Minister Singh, who has done an outstanding job. If there is anybody in India who is to be given special credit, I think he has been one of the most responsible leaders we've had there," Voinovich said.
The senator accused the BJP of playing politics by opposing the deal. "The BJP was for the civilian nuclear deal (while they were in power). They were for it but now it looks they are playing politics with it and there is a real question if he (Singh) can get it through the Parliament..." Voinovich said.
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RatingOh by the way... passage of this deal in the Indian parliament would have been easier if the US congress had not been snobbish and added unnecessary junk in the 123 law that they passed. Anything that they have in the law that impinges on the dignity and sovereignty of India is going to be unacceptable. I really dislike the communists. They make my stomach turn, but in this instant they have done a good deed for India; even it is for petty political leverage with the central government. I hope the Americans realize that this is true democracy... not the democracy that is being practised (pretended is more like it) in NaPakistan.
I have noticed that the US Government is almost desperate to get the nuclear deal pushed through. I wonder why?! Unless they stand to benefit enormously they wouldn't touch the deal with a 12 feet long pole. So having said that, it stands to reason that there is something else... that doesn't meet the eye. I was always suspicious of this deal and like this guy is praising Manmohan Singh, it is almost like praising Musharraf in Paksitan... just to make him feel special and do their bidding. Nope! This deal truly stinks and politics or no politics the BJP is doing a good deed for India. They have not said no to this deal, but they have said no to the present form of the deal. BJP is a nationalist party, it will not let the Congress sell Indian interests to the US for peanuts.
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