Why the India Deal Is Good

Washington's agreement to support India's nuclear program – for civilian, not military, purposes – has been criticized for undermining the international nonproliferation regime. As Selig A. Harrison writes, much of the antagonism is unfounded. According to Harrison, India's increasing energy demands – along with ample deposits of a rare radioactive mineral – have allowed New Delhi to greatly expand its nuclear power capacity. And thus, he suggests, the White House recognized a necessity to ensure that India's technology stay in safe hands. Also, the Bush administration sees a need to support India as a strategic counterpart to China. "[T]he Indo-U.S. agreement concluded on July 18 formalizes and reinforces the Indian commitment to abide by nonproliferation norms," says Harrison. – YaleGlobal