At the same time, he said, India was on the verge of gaining U.S. approval of a nuclear fuel agreement although the Indian government had refused to sign the treaty and had engaged in a subcontinent nuclear arms race.
"We are going to provide the nuclear materials for their civilian nuclear program so that it will free up their domestic nuclear materials for their weapons program," he said.
Markey said that the accord would set off a "nuclear weapons domino effect" by encouraging other nations to ignore the nonproliferation treaty, and that Iran and North Korea would be at the top of the list.
Bush, in addition to focusing on the access inspectors would gain to Indian facilities, has argued that with a population of 1.1 billion and a growing economy, India needs to expand its nuclear energy facilities to lessen its need for conventional fuels.
Growing demand for oil and gas, he says, will put price pressure on the world's limited supplies.
Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set the agreement in motion during a meeting in Washington in July 2005, but negotiators were unable to complete it until March.
Undersecretary of State R. Nicholas Burns, who is visiting India, said ahead of Congress' approval that the deal would lead to an expansion of joint ventures between the countries and accompany increases in mutual counter-terrorism efforts.
james.gerstenzang
@latimes.com
