Pakistan Warns Of Nuclear Arms Race

Pakistan has warned that a deal leading to increased Indian access to nuclear fuel could accelerate the atomic arms race between the rivals, according to a letter obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

The letter addressed to more than 60 nations comes less than two weeks before the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency board is expected to approve a so-called safeguards agreement setting up rules for inspecting some of India's civilian nuclear facilities.

Approval of the safeguards deal is key in India's efforts to gain access to legal imports of nuclear fuel and technology from a 45-nation consortium known as the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

Islamabad warns in the letter dated July 18 and addressed to members of the IAEA board and Nuclear Suppliers Group that the safeguards agreement would hurt nonproliferation efforts and "threatens to increase the chances of a nuclear arms race in the sub-continent."

Predominantly Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan have fought three wars since they were created in the bloody partition of the Indian subcontinent at independence from Britain in 1947.

Relations have improved considerably since the start of a peace process in 2004. But progress at the talks has been slow and deep distrust remains between the two rivals, which developed their nuclear arms in secret.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group bans exports to nuclear weapons states like India and Pakistan that have not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and do not have full safeguard agreements allowing the IAEA to inspect their facilities. But the Nuclear Suppliers Group is ready to consider a waiver for India, in part due to lobbying from Washington.

The Bush administration has signed a deal to supply India with nuclear fuel but needs approval, first from the Nuclear Suppliers Group and then the U.S. Congress.

Pakistan is vehemently opposed to the Nuclear Suppliers Group doing business with its rival and may vote against approval of the draft at the Aug. 1 board meeting.

The IAEA board is expected to approve the deal despite criticism from detractors hat it could limit international oversight of New Delhi's civilian facilities because of ambiguous wording and help supply its arms program with fissile material.

Obtained earlier by the AP, much of the restricted 23-page draft is in line with other safeguard agreements. But a clause appears to call into question the effectiveness of any IAEA effort to make sure New Delhi's civilian nuclear activities do not aid its atomic weapons program.

The draft notes that India "may take corrective measures to ensure uninterrupted operation of its civilian nuclear reactors in the event of disruption of foreign fuel supplies." The phrasing appears to open the door for India to end IAEA oversight of some facilities, potentially using the plants to manufacture not fuel but fissile weapons material.

And a section where India lists the facilities to be under IAEA supervision is left blank. Although those facilities - 14 of the nation's 22 reactors - are listed in a separate and widely published Civil Nuclear Separation Plan drawn up two years ago by India, the empty annex is raising questions among critics.

Pakistani objections in the letter include the date of the board meeting, which comes less than the required 45 days after a country starts circulating its draft. More time is needed because the agreement "is likely to set a precedent for other states which are not members of the NPT and have military nuclear programmes," says the letter.

A diplomat close to the IAEA who demanded anonymity in exchange for divulging confidential information said the agency had taken the letter into consideration but the meeting would be held Aug. 1 as planned.

The letter also notes that "facilities to be safeguarded are not listed," asking: "What is the purposed of the Agreement if the facilities to be safeguarded are not known?"