Nuclear impasse deepens
INDIA, The Indian government and its communist allies meet on Tuesday
to discuss a nuclear energy deal with the United States, as speculation
grew that a political impasse between the two sides would spark snap
elections.
A fourth, and potentially final, meeting of a joint panel formed to
end the face-off between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government and
the left was expected to make no progress, with the communists insisting
the deal would make India subservient to U.S. interests. Critics,
including many in the U.S. Congress, say the deal unfairly rewards India
and undercuts a U.S.-led campaign to curtail nuclear ambitions of
nations like Iran.
The crisis appears headed for a final showdown, with India facing an
informal end-October deadline to begin securing clearances from the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and others to clinch the deal.
New Delhi, Tuesday, Reuters
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