WASHINGTON, May 17: A senior US official has said that the non-proliferation treaty, considered the cornerstone of global efforts to curb nuclear weapons, was ‘filled with holes’ and the United States was trying to ‘rectify’ it.
The statement, given at a Tuesday evening seminar in Washington, shows that the US administration is willing to alter even revered international treaties, such as the NPT, to seek endorsement for a nuclear deal President Bush signed with India in March.
“It’s a regime that is filled with holes,” Mr Burns told an audience at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“We have the largest law abiding country in the world (India) outside and a major violator (Iran) inside.”
Indicating that the US was not happy with this arrangement, Mr Burns said: “It’s not a perfectly functioning regime. We are trying to rectify things here.”
Mr Burns, who negotiated the India-US deal, said the administration ‘thought long and hard’ about making such a big departure from the current nonproliferation regime.
“We are seeking to overturn 30 years of practice by our governments,” he said.
“We believe we are right to do so, that it is in our national interests, but still we have to answer the questions.”
Mr Burns said India has always managed its nuclear technologies responsibly and rejected criticism that the accord would let India use a bonanza of nuclear fuel and technology to boost its nuclear weapons arsenal.
India’s motivation, Mr Burns said, was to increase its civil nuclear sector to help meet its massive energy needs.
“It’s not going to build up to an arms race,” he added.
Mr Burns also rejected the argument that the proposed deal, which is yet to be approved by the US Congress, would encourage an arms race in South Asia.
“India is clearly seeking a peaceful, stable and friendly future with China and Pakistan,” he said. “And we think we know that is going to happen.”
Mr Burns disagreed with those who say that since India has close relations with Iran, it does not qualify for cooperation in a sensitive field like nuclear technology.
“US judges India on the basis on which we judge...Japan and all our European allies all of whom have full diplomatic relations with Iran and many have multi-billion dollar trade relations,” he said.
“What interests us is that India broke away from its non-aligned allies on September 23 and voted with...the US to rebuke Iran...and India voted for the second time on February 4 at IAEA board of governors meeting...to rebuke Iran. I think it is fair to judge India on those votes.”
India’s support to the US move at the IAEA meeting, he said, led to ‘a lot of support’ from the rest of the 77 non-aligned countries and to an increasing consensus against Iran.
