PrintOctober 9, 2007
Democrats obstruct geopolitical strategy
First, they threw a monkey wrench into the US-European missile defense shield. Now, Congressional Democrats led by the expert global strategist, Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), have started a campaign to delay or stop the US and India nuclear and defense cooperation treaty, important in isolating Iran and strengthening a major democratic ally.
Tauscher, Edward Markey (D-Mass.), and Sam Farr (D-Calif.) last week sent a letter urging the 45 member countries that sell nuclear materials to cooperate with the agreement only if certain conditions are met. The three lawmakers want the Nuclear Suppliers Group to sell nuclear materials and technology to India only if the country enters fully into the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treat. And if India were found in violation of its provisions, the suppliers would be forced to cutoff supplies of fissile material.
According to Tauscher, the rationale for this roadblock to our geopolitical strategy is that if India were given more nuclear material to satisfy its massive energy needs, then,
...it could redirect its relatively limited domestic supply of uranium entirely toward its military program.
This is simply a ginned up excuse on the part of the Left about the world's largest democracy, which incidentally has been a nuclear power since 1974. If the Democrats and their Communist allies in the Indian Parliament are successful in stopping the sale of uranium, then India would be forced to cut deals with Iran or Russia, or both, to obtain the energy its booming economy demands. In our confrontation with Iran, this would be a very unfavorable development.
Unfortunately, other representatives, including two Republicans, have drafted a non-binding resolution that urges the Nuclear Suppliers Group to "place toughly worded constraints on future nuclear dealings with India." The resolution was introduced last Friday by Howard Berman (D-Calif.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), and Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.).
The resolution is timed to coincide with the visit to India of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed El Baradei, Egyptian lawyer and internationally renowned non-scientist. Republican participation in this farce is puzzling to say the least, except we should all recognize that the American left doesn't have a corner on the market when it comes to placing the needs of the lawmaker above our global wartime strategy.
Douglas Hanson is national security correspondent of American Thinker.
