TITLE= INDIA AND NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION
DATE= MAY 23, 1998
TYPE=ON THE LINE
NUMBER=1-00638 SHORT # 1
EDITOR=OFFICE OF POLICY - 619-0037
CONTENT= INSERTS AVAILABLE FROM AUDIO SERVICES
THEME: UP, HOLD UNDER AND FADE
ANNCR: ON THE LINE -- A DISCUSSION OF UNITED STATES
POLICIES AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. THIS WEEK,
"INDIA AND NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION." HERE IS YOUR
HOST, --------.
HOST: HELLO AND WELCOME TO ON THE LINE. THIS MONTH,
INDIA DETONATED FIVE UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR
EXPLOSIONS AND BECAME THE SIXTH DECLARED NUCLEAR
POWER, AFTER THE UNITED STATES, RUSSIA, BRITAIN,
FRANCE AND CHINA. INDIA SAYS THAT IT NEEDS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES. INDIA'S
NEIGHBORS INCLUDE BOTH CHINA AND PAKISTAN, WHICH
HAS BEEN AIDED BY CHINA IN ITS WEAPONS
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON
SAID THE TESTS "CLEARLY CREATE A DANGEROUS NEW
INSTABILITY IN THE REGION." AS REQUIRED BY U.S.
LAW, MR. CLINTON IMPOSED ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON
INDIA. HE ALSO URGED PAKISTAN "NOT TO FOLLOW
THE DANGEROUS PATH INDIA HAS TAKEN."
GARY MILHOLLIN IS DIRECTOR OF THE WISCONSIN
PROJECT ON NUCLEAR ARMS CONTROL. HE SAYS INDIA
HAS COMMITTED A MAJOR BLUNDER.
MILHOLLIN: I THINK THIS WAS AN ENORMOUS MISTAKE BY INDIA.
INDIA ALREADY HAD NUCLEAR CAPABILITY. THE
DEVICES THAT THEY TESTED WORKED. THE INDIANS
KNEW THEY WOULD WORK. I DON'T THINK THAT INDIA
ACHIEVED ANYTHING WITH RESPECT TO PAKISTAN. ALL
INDIA HAS DONE HAS ENERGIZED THE PAKISTANI
NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM. AND WITH RESPECT TO
CHINA, I DON'T THINK INDIA REALLY FEARS CHINA AT
ALL. AND IF CHINA AND INDIA EVER CAME TO BLOWS,
CHINA COULD HANDLE INDIA WITHOUT NUCLEAR
WEAPONS. I THINK THE REAL MOTIVE FOR THIS
SERIES OF TESTS WAS DOMESTIC POLITICS.
HOST: STEPHEN SOLARZ IS A FORMER U.S. CONGRESSMAN, WHO
SERVED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE. HE SAYS THAT INDIA'S REASONS FOR
TESTING ARE SERIOUS ONES.
SOLARZ: IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THE INDIAN PERSPECTIVE,
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT THEY WERE
INVADED BY CHINA IN 1962. CHINA CONTINUES TO
HOLD LARGE PARTS OF INDIAN TERRITORY. CHINA HAS
COLLUDED WITH PAKISTAN TO FACILITATE THE
ACQUISITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS BY THE
PAKISTANIS. AND THE INDIANS ARE CONCERNED,
RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY. IT IS A POLITICAL AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL REALITY, OBVIOUS TO ANYONE WHO
GOES TO INDIA, THAT THERE IS A GENUINE CONCERN
IN NEW DEHLI AND ELSEWHERE IN INDIA ABOUT THE
THREAT FROM CHINA.
HOST: HENRY SOKOLSKI IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
NONPROLIFERATION POLICY EDUCATION CENTER. HE
SAYS THE U.S. SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON KEEPING
THINGS FROM GETTING WORSE.
SOKOLSKI: IN FACT, I THINK WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO IS
RECOGNIZE THAT THE NEXT STEP IS SCARY -- WE NEED
TO HEAD IT OFF -- AND THAT IS MASSIVE PRODUCTION
OF LONG-RANGE MISSILES IN BOTH OF THESE
COUNTRIES. AND IT SEEMS TO ME THE THING WE NEED
TO FOCUS ON, EVEN AT THE COST OF LETTING THIS
FRAGILE RULING MAJORITY IN INDIA FALL AND SOME
NEW GOVERNMENT COMING INTO PLACE, IS TO LET THE
SANCTIONS SINK IN. AND THEN, ONCE EVERYONE HAS
SEEN THAT THERE'S A PRICE TO BE PAID FOR THIS
BEHAVIOR, BARGAIN FOR SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT YET
HAPPENED, TO PREVENT IT WITH A NEW GOVERNMENT.
HOST: FORMER CONGRESSMAN SOLARZ SAYS THAT BOTH
PAKISTAN AND INDIA SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS
DECLARED NUCLEAR POWERS IF THEY AGREE TO SIGN ON
TO THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY, THE
MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME AND THE
COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY. FOR ON THE LINE,
THIS IS --------.
ANNCR: YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO "ON THE LINE" -- A
DISCUSSION OF UNITED STATES POLICIES AND
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. THIS IS --------.
21-May-98 5:06 PM EDT (2106 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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