DATE=5/12/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40344
TITLE=INDIA NUKE ANALYSIS
BYLINE=DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: DEFENSE ANALYSTS SAY INDIA DETONATED THREE NUCLEAR
DEVICES MONDAY BECAUSE IT WANTS TO SEND A CLEAR SIGNAL IT IS IN A
POSITION TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE WORLD'S DECLARED NUCLEAR POWERS.
NEW DELHI CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN HAS MORE ON THE STORY.
TEXT: DEFENSE ANALYSTS SAY INDIA BROKE A 24-YEAR SELF-IMPOSED
MORATORIUM ON NUCLEAR TESTS TO PUT AN END TO DOUBTS ABOUT ITS
NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES, AND SHOW THE WORLD NEW DELHI IS READY TO
DRIVE A HARD NUCLEAR BARGAIN.
INDIA TESTED ITS FIRST NUCLEAR DEVICE IN 1974, BUT FOR DECADES
DID NOT ADVANCE ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM. THIS LED TO SPECULATION
ABOUT INDIAN INTENTIONS AND PRESSURE ON INDIA TO SIGN NUCLEAR
WEAPONS AND TESTING TREATIES.
FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER KRISHNA CHANDRA PANT SAYS THE NEW DELHI
GOVERNMENT WANTED TO PUT AN END TO THIS UNCERTAINTY.
// PANT ACT //
THE FACT THAT THE OPTION WAS KEPT OPEN BY INDIA WAS
PROVING TO BE A LITTLE TOO OPEN. YOU CAN KEEP THE
OPTION OPEN, BUT THEN TECHNOLOGY RESTRAINTS ARE PUT ON
VARIOUS EXPORTS TO INDIA AND SO ON. AND PEOPLE BEGIN TO
ASK THE QUESTION, WHY DO NOT YOU RATHER SIGN THE N-P-T
OR C-T-B-T?
// END ACT //
SECURITY SPECIALIST FOR NEW DELHI'S CENTER FOR POLICY RESEARCH,
BRAHAMA CHELLANY, SAYS INDIA HAS SENT A CLEAR SIGNAL IT HAS THE
ABILITY TO MANUFACTURE THE MOST MODERN NUCLEAR WEAPONS. HE SAYS
INDIA HAS VIRTUALLY DECLARED ITSELF AS A NUCLEAR WEAPONS STATE.
/// CHELLANY ACT ///
WHAT THEY HAVE DONE YESTERDAY IS TO CONDUCT TESTS OF
WARHEAD PROTOTYPES, AND THEY HAVE TESTED THREE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF WARHEAD CONFIGURATIONS, INCLUDING ONE WHICH IS
A THERMO-NUCLEAR DEVICE, ANOTHER IS A BOOSTED FISSION
DEVICE, AND THE THIRD IS A LOW-YIELD FISSION DEVICE. SO
BASICALLY INDIA HAS DEMONSTRATED ITS CAPABILITY TO
MANUFACTURE THE MOST MODERN NUCLEAR WEAPONS. AND UNLIKE
IN 1974 WHEN THEY CONDUCTED THE TEST OF A CRUDE DEVICE,
THESE WERE ACTUALLY WARHEAD PROTOTYPES. IN A WAY INDIA
IS TELLING THE WORLD THAT IT IS NOW A NUCLEAR WEAPONS
STATE.
/// END ACT ///
MR. CHELLANY SAYS INDIA IS TRYING TO ASSERT ITSELF AS A MAJOR
WORLD POWER AND AS PART OF THIS NEW ROLE IT SEEKS A SEAT ON THE
U-N SECURITY COUNCIL. HE SAYS THE NUCLEAR TESTS MIGHT BE A
SIGNAL BY INDIA IT WANTS TO BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY.
// CHELLANY ACT //
YESTERDAY'S SERIES OF TESTS HAVE SHOCKED THE WORLD, BUT
I THINK THAT SHOCK WILL MAKE THE REST OF THE WORLD LOOK
AT INDIA MORE SERIOUSLY. AFTER ALL, INDIA IS ONE-SIXTH
OF HUMANITY AND TO IGNORE SUCH A LARGE MASS OF HUMANITY,
NOT TO GIVE INDIA ITS DUE ROLE IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL,
WILL NOT (HELP) THE LONG-TERM DURABILITY OF THE SECURITY
COUNCIL. SO, IN A WAY, BY CARRYING OUT THOSE TESTS
INDIA ACTUALLY MIGHT BE ASKING THE WORLD TO TAKE IT MORE
SERIOUSLY.
// END ACT //
A GOVERNMENT STATEMENT SAYS THE NUCLEAR TESTS ESTABLISH INDIA HAS
A PROVEN CAPABILITY FOR A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM. AN OFFICIAL
SPOKESMAN SAYS INDIA IS IN A DANGEROUS SECURITY ENVIRONMENT. HE
DID NOT ELABORATE, BUT INDIA'S LARGE NEIGHBOR, CHINA, IS A
DECLARED NUCLEAR POWER AND PAKISTAN HAS A NUCLEAR CAPABILITY.
THE SPOKESMAN SAYS THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO ASSURE THE INDIAN
PEOPLE THEIR COUNTRY HAS A CREDIBLE MILITARY DETERRENT.
(SIGNED)
NEB/RAE
12-May-98 9:46 AM EDT (1346 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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