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DATE=4/11/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-247898
TITLE=INDIA / MISSILE (L)
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO: INDIA HAS TEST-FIRED AN UPGRADED VERSION OF ITS AGNI 
BALLISTIC MISSILE.  SUNDAY'S TEST WAS THE FIRST FIRING OF THE 
MISSILE IN FIVE YEARS AND COMES IN DEFIANCE OF INTERNATIONAL 
APPEALS.  V-O-A'S JIM TEEPLE REPORTS FROM NEW DELHI, THE UNITED 
STATES GOVERNMENT HAS EXPRESSED REGRET OVER THE MISSILE TEST. 
TEXT:  THE UPGRADED VERSION OF THE MISSILE, KNOWN AS THE AGNI 
TWO, HAS A RANGE OF ABOUT TWO-THOUSAND-500 KILOMETERS.  THE 
MISSILE, WHICH IS BELIEVED TO BE CAPABLE OF CARRYING NUCLEAR 
WEAPONS, WAS LAST TEST FIRED IN 1994.  SUNDAY'S TEST TOOK PLACE 
FROM AN ISLAND OFF INDIA'S EASTERN COAST.
INDIAN OFFICIALS SAY -- BASED ON AN AGREEMENT SIGNED EARLIER THIS
YEAR -- PAKISTAN WAS GIVEN PRIOR NOTIFICATION OF SUNDAY'S MISSILE
TEST. 
THERE HAS BEEN INTENSE PRESSURE ON INDIA NOT TO TEST FIRE THE 
AGNI TWO, SINCE BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN CONDUCTED NUCLEAR TESTS 
LAST YEAR.  INDIA'S INFORMATION AND BROADCAST MINISTER PRAMOD 
MAHAJAN SAYS SUNDAY'S MISSILE TEST AND LAST YEAR'S NUCLEAR TESTS 
SHOW INDIA WILL NOT BUDGE WHEN IT COMES TO NATIONAL SECURITY 
ISSUES.  MR. MAHAJAN SAYS SUNDAY'S TEST WENT WELL. 
                         //  MAHAJAN ACTUALITY //
 I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT INDIA TODAY (SUNDAY) HAS SUCCESSFULLY
LAUNCHED AN I-R-B-M (INTERMEDIATE RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILE) THE 
AGNI TWO.  THE LAUNCH TOOK PLACE AT TEN AM (0430 UTC).  IT WAS 
PERFECT IN TEXT BOOK FASHION. 
                          //  END ACTUALITY //
MR. MAHAJAN SAYS INDIAN DEFENSE MINISTER GEORGE FERNANDEZ AND THE
HEAD OF  INDIA'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM, ABDUL KALAM, WERE 
PRESENT AT SUNDAY'S TEST-FIRING.  
MR. MAHAJAN IS DENYING THE TEST HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH HELPING 
THE HINDU-NATIONALIST GOVERNMENT OF PRIME MINISTER ATAL BEHARI 
VAJPAYEE.  INDIA'S PRIME MINISTER HAS LOST THE SUPPORT OF A KEY 
COALITION PARTNER AND HIS GOVERNMENT COULD FACE A PARLIAMENT VOTE
OF CONFIDENCE LATER THIS WEEK. 
AN OFFICIAL AT THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN NEW DELHI CALLS 
SUNDAY'S MISSILE TEST "REGRETTABLE."   THE OFFICIAL -- WHO ASKED 
NOT TO BE IDENTIFIED -- SAYS THE TEST SEEMS OUT OF STEP WITH 
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS.  HE POINTED TO THE RECENT BUS TRIP TO 
PAKISTAN BY INDIA'S PRIME MINISTER, THAWING RELATIONS BETWEEN 
INDIA AND CHINA, AND A SERIES OF TALKS BETWEEN SENIOR INDIAN AND 
U-S DIPLOMATS ON NUCLEAR ARMS CONTROL ISSUES IN SOUTH ASIA. 
(SIGNED) 
NEB / JLT / DT / WD
11-Apr-99 5:08 AM EDT (0908 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.