THE foreign relations committees in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate will “mark up” legislation on the U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation next week.

Congressional sources told the Tribune the House International Relations Committee will mark up the bill on June 27, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has planned similar action on June 28.

A mark up refers to the meeting of a committee held to review the text of a bill before reporting it out to the full Senate and House. Committee members offer and vote on proposed changes to the bill's language, known as amendments. Most mark ups end with a vote to send the new version of the bill to the floor for final approval.

The chairmen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) and the House International Relations Committee (HIRC) introduced bills — enabling legislation — in March at the urging of the Bush administration. These bills have undergone changes during the course of the debate as members of the committee seek to make bipartisan changes. The amended bills have not been publicised. The vote will seek to exempt India from the U.S. Atomic Energy Act after determining India has adequate safeguards in place so as not to proliferate nuclear technology.

Both diplomatic sources and members of the Bush administration have said that adding any conditions to the nuclear deal could be a deal breaker.

Since March, members of both committees have heard passionate testimonies from supporters and opponents of the deal on the issue of amending the Atomic Energy Act and facilitating nuclear trade with India. Members of the administration, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Undersecretary of State R. Nicholas Burns have defended the deal at committee hearings. Critics worry that it will hurt the U.S.' nonproliferation goals and weaken its hand in dealing with Iran.

Congressional sources told the Tribune the administration is confident the deal has enough support in both committees to be sent to the full Senate and House for further debate and an eventual vote.

So far, the House bill introduced by HIRC chairman Henry Hyde, Illinois Republican, has 40 co-sponsors. A similar Senate version, introduced by SFRC chairman Richard Lugar, Indiana Republican, has 10 cosponsors.

Initially miffed about not being informed of the deal that reverses 30 years of U.S. Nuclear policy with India before it was announced by Mr. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Washington on July 18, 2005, Mr. Lugar has since thrown his weight behind it.

In a recent speech he said the nuclear deal represented “the most important strategic diplomatic initiative undertaken by President Bush”

“A Congressional rejection of the agreement - or an open-ended delay — risks wasting a critical opportunity to begin to expand beyond our Cold War alliance structures to include dynamic nations with whom our interests are converging,” Mr. Lugar said.

Critics of the deal have argued about the “proliferation risks.”

“Two of the strongest barriers against proliferation in the past have been Washington’s insistence on tighter standards against dangerous nuclear commerce and the NSG’s [Nuclear Suppliers Group] consensus rule,” said Michael Krepon, of the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington. “Finding a place for India under the tent makes sense – but not if this means that the tent falls down or provides far less shelter.”

Mr. Krepon suggested the proliferation risks could be reduced “by insisting on maintaining the consensus rule for commercial transactions among nuclear suppliers.”

While administration officials are confident the bills will clear both committees, congressional sources say intense backroom debates are ongoing and the fate of the bills can only be known once the last vote is cast.

Islamabad, June 21
Voicing concern over the US reopening investigations into the proliferation network of disgraced Pakistan nuclear scientist the A.Q. Khan, President Pervez Musharraf has said he would not permit any direct questioning of the scientist.

"It is a matter of concern that A.Q Khan chapter is opened every now and then," he said, referring to the probe by the US Congress Sub Committee into Khan's nuclear network after Islamabad declared it had closed the chapter of investigations.

While dismissing demands for handing over Khan for questioning to any foreign country, the Pakistan President also gave a clean chit to the detained nuclear scientist over allegations that he added Syrian nuclear programme in addition to that of Iran, Libya and North Korea.

"We are not allowing any direct access to any foreign agent to A.Q Khan, our own investigators are competent enough to conduct inquiries. They should tell us what is the problem and we will investigate it. I take it as insult that Pakistan cannot do the job. What it implies is that we don't have capability and we are not telling the truth," he said.

He also said Pakistan was concerned over the tensions building between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme for which Khan had admitted assisting in the past.

Musharraf said in any war scenario between Iran and the USA, Pakistan would like to completely isolate itself and remain neutral.

"Pakistan's security demands that we remain neutral in case of any clash between Iran and the USA," he said hoping that Iranian nuclear crisis is resolved through peaceful dialogue.

He denied reports Iran had approached Pakistan for mediation saying, "We have not been approached but if approached Pakistan is ready to contribute."

He was of the view that both sides would have to give up maximalist positions and give way to an amicable solution." Both sides will have to step back," he said.

On allegations from Afghanistan that Taliban chief Mullah Omar took refuge in Pakistan, Musharraf admitted that Taliban operated from both sides of the border but denied Omar was in Pakistan.

Musharraf also brushed off threats and calls for ouster issued by Al Qaida number two, Aymen Al Zawahri. "I am not one of those who get threatened. I am a commando. If somebody wants to kill me I would want to kill him first. Let him face me. I am not trained to get scared. Let us see who kills who". — PTI 

Moscow, June 21
Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash flew in the fourth generation MiG-29 fighter here, similar to the one which would be deployed on Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier being acquired by India from Russia.

"I was highly impressed. It is very good, very capable fly-by-wire fighter," Admiral Prakash said after the flight during a visit to the RAC MiG Corporation here yesterday.

"India is to acquire 14 deck -based MiG-29K fighters for deployment on Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, currently under refit at the Russian naval shipyard in Severodvinsk.

"I would love to fly the MiG-29K also," the Naval chief told reporters at the end of his Moscow leg of his week-long Russia tour.

In Moscow he had talks with his Russian counterpart, Admiral Vladimir Masorin and Chief of the General Staff, General Yuri Baluyevsky.

The Naval chief expressed confidence that Russia would be able to deliver Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier in the autumn of 2008 as per schedule.

The Naval Chief said the talks have been completed on the deal for the acquisition of three more "Talwar Class" stealth frigates from Russia. — PTI