WASHINGTON - India circumvents other countriesÂ’ export controls and leaks sensitive technology in procuring materials for its nuclear programs, according to a report by former UN weapons inspector David Albright.| Remind me, isn't he the one who found Saddam's WMD? |
| "Lies! All lies!" |
Albright, a physicist who heads the Institute for Science and International Security, said he had “uncovered a well-developed and secret Indian program to outfit its uranium enrichment program and circumvent other countries’ export control efforts.” The report, co-authored by researcher Susan Basu, said when India seeks bids for nuclear-related equipment, it allows prospective suppliers to buy blueprints and manufacturing instructions for a particular item. Company officials could then sell the item or related technology to other customers.
“That’s what we think is new, that you could go buy some centrifuge design information through the Indian procurement system,” Albright told Reuters in an interview. “This is not a normal way of doing business. It’s a very irresponsible way to handle sensitive information,” he added.
| Except that now we have a tool with which to start leveraging the Indians. If they want our civilian nuke technology, they have to play ball with us on stuff like this. We didn't have that until GWB negotiated a deal with the Indians. |
He noted that Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, welcomed the agreement as a milestone to consolidate the nonproliferation regime and that the White House praised India as having a strong nonproliferation record.
The Bush administration on Thursday asked the US Congress to begin implementing the deal by changing US laws to permit nuclear sales to India, ending a three-decades-old ban. The 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, who oversees nuclear transfers, also must change its rules.