WASHINGTON: In an unprecedented move the US. Senate Foreign Operations Subcommittee for Appropriations today decided to recommend a ban on the transfer of high technology and a cut in bilateral assistance to India and Pakistan unless the two agree to reduce tension in the area and curb the nuclear race.

According to senior Congressional aides, the decision “would be a stumbling block and hamper the transfer of US, technology to India”.

The subcommittee, however, decided to recommend a six year waiver to allow the proposed $4.02 billion military and economic assistance to Islamabad. ‘The aides said the special amendment to the foreign aid markup has made it mandatory on India and Pakistan “to enter into a bilateral agreement to reduce tension in the region to curb the nuclear race sparked by the two countries’ possession of material worthy of nuclear device.

However, under a provision in the amendment approved by consensus in the Senate subcommittee the President can waive the ban “if it defeats US. national interest.” The amendment will now come up for approval before the full Senate Appropriations Committee

tomorrow. The Congressional aides said “it will be allowed to stand”.

According to senior Congressional aides, “the Senate panel held that Pakistan could not be singled out for enriching nuclear ‘weapons grade material when India t00 was stockpiling similar material”.

India has rejected proposals by the U.S.A, Kand Pakistan to enter into a treaty with Islamabad without making China a party to the same, Some Congressmen felt India’s rejection had smelled efforts at resolving the South Asian nuclear debacle which led to the suspension of aid to Pakistan. The condition imposed on the two countries are based on the Senate findings that India and Pakistan have stockpiling unsafeguarded fissile nuclear materials in violation of U.S. foreign aid laws. ‘The Senate decision coming just about a month after Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’ visit when the two countries agreed to expand high-tech ties, including transfer of technology and cooperation in defense was stringent enough to slow down the process of technology transfer to India, if India aid not wish to accept” the conditions, the sources said?

Nevertheless, to tone down the possible “discrimination” attitude, the Senate added a clause that if the President was determined to waive aid cutoff under special circumstances, he would “have to do the same for both countries” This clause would not hold “if a country decided against fulfilling the amendment conditionalities”.

The major significant of today’s decision has been to delink Islamabad from the usual combined list of US. said receivers like Egypt and Israel and to draw a special South

Asian region in the Foreing Aid.

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 18, 1987