For the price of oil and gas, Bush would just as soon raise the ante potentially to millions and millions of people, and ransom off another piece of our future.
How?
By proposing shortcuts to destroy the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty.
Inida has refused to sign the NPT, and Bush is proposing to provide nuclear technology without demanding the inspections and controls for re-export of this techonology, as required under the NPT.
The "new partnership" of providing 'civilian nuclear technology' to a nation that already has the bomb is more serious than one might think on the surface.
Here's what Congressman Ed Markey from Massachusetts had to say today on the matter.
http://us.rediff.com/...
"The United States has now pushed over a nuclear domino that falls against 187 other nations -- all signers of the Nonproliferation Treaty -- to review why they should honour a document which the nuclear superpowers no longer respect," he complains, adding, "It empowers the hawks in every rogue nation to put their nuclear weapons plans on steroids now that they can no longer be isolated as non-signers of an agreement that has been shredded."
Markey claims there is bipartisan opposition to the deal in the US Congress, as it is another case of the Bush administration announcing a commercial deal without due regard for its impact on national security interests.
While acknowledging that the full details are not yet available, Markey -- considered the fiercest nonproliferation advocate in the US House of Representatives -- argues it appears that the Bush administration is "going to open up nuclear trade with a country which has refused to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which refuses to accept full scope international safeguards over its nuclear facilities, and which refuses to halt fissile materials for nuclear bombs."
I heard audio from the Beeb, where they were interviewing Markey: he is ripping about this. And with justification: the sale and re-export of this technology could result in the wrong people or governments getting their hands on the materials.
Isn't it bad enough we are cozy with Pakistan, which continues to protect it's merchant of death, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan .. the one that supplied the nuclear weapons technology to N Korea, Libya and Iran.
from the wiki...
The United States government decided to leave the fate of Khan in the hands of General Musharraf, imposing no penalties on the Pakistani government or on individuals. Officials explained that in the War on Terrorism it was not their goal to denounce or imprison people, but "to get results." The White House chose not to sanction Pakistan or to demand an independent investigation of the Pakistani military. "It's just another case where you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar," an official explained.
Bush is selling off our children's future for oil and gas.
{Again}
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Even the Australians, who have a conservative gov't, know about the rules.
Australia blocks uranium sales to India until it signs NPT
(AP)
3 March 2006
SYDNEY, Australia - Australia will not sell uranium to India until the country signs the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Friday.
Downer welcomed the deal brokered by US President George W. Bush, under which India agreed to open civilian nuclear facilities to international inspections for the first time. But he said Australia would not alter its long standing policy blocking the sale of uranium, as it could result in other countries that have not signed the NPT making bids for Australian uranium.
"If we were to export uranium to India that would constitute a significant shift in our policy, it would open up questions of whether we would export uranium to countries like Israel and Pakistan as well," Downer told Australia Broadcasting Corp. radio. "I think it is probably easier for us to support the current policy."
This effectively is a creation of a third class of nations in the NPT - nations that refuse to sign the treaty, like India, that are given special consideration.
Meanwhile nations like Iran are expected to toe-the-line as signatory to the NPT. Fat chance of Iran continuing to honor the agreement, as they watch India's relationship with the US.
It's bald faced hyprocrisy, which will subject the US to more international ridicule, and pull the control rods out even further on an already bad situation.
Oh, the theory is that with India having large scale civilian nuclear power, this will lessen their future demand for oil and gas .. and the 'renewable' nuclear energy will slow down global warming {and help divert oil and gas to the the West, wink wink}.
This 'new partnership' of GW Bush with India is a potential partnership of death. Perhaps it will be us, or our children, or their children that will reap the whirlwind that Bush tries to sow today.
It's good to see Ed Markey kicking it up and getting the opposition in line.
Just how far will Bush go to keep the Pampered SUV Class supplied with gas?
