President Bush might have been ignored by the Republican Convention and he might be the target of a derogatory campaign by the Democrats, but he showed last week that, in the real World, He is still the man and what President Bush wants, he gets from the world.
The US-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement was a signature deal for President George Bush. This deal had to be accepted unanimously by the 45-nation NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group); a single dissension could have derailed the Agreement.
This was a highly controversial deal to say the least. Essentially, the NSG was being asked to put aside its aims and policies to make an exception for India at America’s request. This was ironic, because the NSG was created in the seventies after India’s surprise nuclear test in 1974. Then the newly formed NSG made an example of India by denying it membership and restricting its club to countries that had gone “nuclear” in the 1960s, thereby allowing China and France to become members. So, to make an exception for India was a big deal indeed. The anti-proliferation groups in America and the World were vociferously opposed to this deal and tried to argue that making an exception for India might embolden Iran and other countries.
The major powers at the NSG, USA, Russia, England, France, supported the exception for India. But, the “green brigade” of small countries, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, New Zealand and others, opposed the deal without explicit guarantees that India was not willing to provide. China was the strongest and most determined opponent of the India Agreement. China tried to scuttle the deal quietly to avoid getting blamed for its defeat. Ultimately, China made its opposition public.
It looked like the deal was going down until President Bush got personally involved. He did not merely get involved. He made the deal happen. He spoke personally to Hu Jintao of China and to the heads of state of the green brigade. New Zealand was the toughest nut to crack but Mr. Bush cracked it. Mr. Bush’s single-minded pursuit of this Agreement finally made the NSG approve it unanimously.
Apparently, President Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the US team did not play soft ball. As a European diplomat complained to Reuters, “For the first time in my experience of international diplomatic negotiations, a consensus decision was followed by complete silence in the room. No clapping, nothing,. It showed a lot of us felt pressured to some extent into a decision by the Americans and few were totally satisfied.”
We are ecstatic. We feel that this Agreement between the US and India is of paramount importance to the free world and its real ramifications will be realized over the next two-three decades.
“No other country could have pulled this off” was the admission of Indian Officials involved in the deliberations. This is why the Times of India called this action “Max Americana”.
In our opinion, this is not just a reflection of American strength, but a tribute to what the World leaders think of President Bush.
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Max Americana – President Bush shows He is still the Man
