Washington: Sep. 18, 2008 – IR Summary/Agencies -  A group of nonproliferation lobbyists, ex-US ambassadors, faith groups and disarmament organizations have asked lawmakers to reject the Indo-US Deal when it is placed before the Congressional nod by citing their points of dissent.

 In a letter, dated 17 September, sent to all 535 law makers - 435 in the House of Representatives and 100 in the Senate, have urged Congress  actively to support measures that would help address the numerous flaws and ambiguities in this proposal.

The groups also asked them not to vote in a hurry but should carefully consider the far reaching nuclear non proliferation and security implications of the agreement. 

The letter further mentioned that the issue of energy, trade, and nonproliferation advantages of the proposal are vastly overstated by its proponents and the potential damage to the global nonproliferation system could be severe.

The letter to lawmakers has been organized by the Arms Control Association, a known opponent of the deal, and The Campaign for Responsibility in Nuclear Trade.

The letter has also urged that the Congress and the Indian officials should remove the discrepancies on key issues including safeguards and the possible termination of the agreement in the event of India’s going for the nuclear testing."

On the other side one lobby anticipates that as President George Bush meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh next week, a key Senate panel may  clear one more hurdle in the way of the India-US nuclear accord on Thursday.

To achieve this target,  the House panel's Democratic Chairman Howard Berman is got to be quite quick to complete the process. If Berman fails to act in time, Bush's hope of getting the deal done before he meets Manmohan Singh at the White House Sep 25 may be dashed.

To hasten the process, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, headed by Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, has called America's third top diplomat, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, William J. Burns, to testify on the implementing 123 agreement on Thursday.

With Biden, an avid supporter of the deal campaigning, fellow Democrat Chris Dodd will preside over the first Congressional move on Bush's request for quick approval of the landmark accord following Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) waiver for India for nuclear trade.

On the whole, the hope is live and may go in favor of the deal as per Dr. Raj Baldev, Cosmo Theorist from India, who has been giving his comments and articles on this strategic issue for quite a long time and he was proved very much right on each turning point that he predicted.