NEW DELHI: Senator Larry Pressler Saturday went on record to say that he was against the extension of the Pressler Amendment to India He said the Amendment was applied when there was evidence to prove that a country was concentrating on developing a nuclear bomb. Pakistan fell into this category and there was evidence which could not be ignored. President Bush was not in a position to give Islamabad a clean slate leading to cuts in aid.

He pointed out that there was n0 evidence to prove that India was developing nuclear power for military purposes though it is publicly acknowledged that India had the technical knowhow to do 30.

Pressler told TOINS “The Prime Minister has assured me that India does not have a bomb and there is no reason why I should not believe him.

At a press conference where he answered a wide range of questions Pressler said he had told the Indian side that while he was one (of those who did not wish for the application of the Pressler Amendment to India it would be “horrendously embarrassing” if this country went ahead and made a bomb.

The senator who is known for his campaign against nuclear proliferation said he would be happy if India signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). But he added that he understood India’s views on the issue. He agreed that it was clear that the five permanent members of the Security Council which we real so nuclear powers were not willing to destroy their arsenals. However with the end of the cold war there was an indication of a new willingness to consider peaceful solutions to problems among nations. A serious effort was on to reduce the nuclear arsenals of both the United States and the former Soviet Union. International opinion was also for the removal of chemical and biological arms.

He agreed that a few countries could not have the monopoly over nuclear power but added that it was unlikely that the countries belonging to the nuclear club would abandon this option immediately.

Senator Pressler also threw in the idea of a Camp David type summit to smooth relations between India and Pakistan. He emphasized that he was speaking in his individual capacity and his views did not reflect that of the Bush administration He said that Indian leaders had pointed out to him that the problems with Pakistan were “immense”. He felt it was up to the two counties to sit down and discuss these. The US could help to get the two sides together but

was not there to provide solutions Referring to New Delhi’s rejection of Islamabad’s proposal for a five nation meeting for a nuclear weapons free zone in southern Asia he said the Indian governments stand had been explained to him.

Pressler said he understood India’s compulsions and sensitivities but never the less hoped that India Pakistan China the United States and the new Russian Federation would sit down and sort out this issue.

The senator admitted that the Pressler Amendment could not “achieve miracles” in persuading countries like Pakistan to abandon their nuclear program. However linking aid to it was a signal from the U.S. that assistance could not be taken for granted. He also explained that the Bush administration was against the Pressler Amendment and had tried to get it repealed last year but the move failed.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 24, 1992