How Bush’s Nuclear Deal Burned Canada

To achieve the deal that was the focal point of his recent visit to India, President Bush retracted an original US demand that all of India’s nuclear facilities be classified as civilian facilities and subjected to permanent IAEA monitoring. Under the current agreement – yet to be approved by legislative bodies in both nations – India will have both civilian and military facilities, with the latter free from inspection. In granting the concession, the author argues, Bush understood the potential for misuse of Canadian nuclear technology. In 1963 Canada contributed to two reactors built in Rajasthan with “design information and detailed drawings,” with the condition that the reactors be used for peaceful purposes. India has since replicated what are known as the CANDU reactors, with 10 in place and four more in construction stages. India has announced that six of the reactors will be used for military purposes. This runs contrary to Canadian nonproliferation policy and could also take a serious economic toll on a country that is a top US competitor in sales of nuclear technology. International attention has focused on Iran’s development of nuclear technology for military purposes. The US-India deal more or less announces that technology for peaceful energy purposes can easily be diverted to military use – another cause for international alarm. Canada has some recourse: As part of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group that must also approve civil nuclear commerce with India, Canada has a powerful veto over the US-India deal. The group meets in May, so time is short for Canada to form a coalition that would require India classifying all CANDU models as civilian sites. – YaleGlobal