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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Tricky Teheran left Delhi cold |
| 2005-09-28 |
| India turned off by Iran’s NPT rebuff, bellicose N-stand INDIA'S DECISION to vote in favour of the International Atomic Energy Association resolution on Friday was made easier by an earlier rebuff New Delhi suffered at Iran's hands. A week before the vote, Iran and Egypt had joined hands to get the United Nations 60th anniversary outcomes document to incorporate a line demanding that the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty be made compulsory for all countries. Though the target was Israel, it was also a red rag for India. If India signed the NPT it would have to surrender its nuclear weapons. New Delhi did not want this to be labeled a UN goal, even in a symbolic document. "Iran's response was that was just too bad. Hitting out at Israel is more important," says a diplomatic source. This was galling given that Iran had repeatedly said it expected New Delhi to abstain at the IAEA vote, which in its final form put off referring Iran's to the UN Security Council. India was already wary because of the damage Iran's nuclear policy was doing to India's carefully maintained reputation for nuclear responsibility. New Delhi was investing in reinforcing that image by passing a WMD anti-proliferation law and accepting Nuclear Suppliers Group standards. Tehran was doing the exact opposite. Worse, Iran was insensitive to Indian concerns, declining to consult about provocative actions like breaking IAEA seals. New Delhi in contrast went to great pains to brief Iran on its IAEA stance. In return, say sources, Iran's line was: "You must support us, but don't expect anything in return." India faced a similar problem with Russia, China and Pakistan, the leaders of the "abstain vote" group at the IAEA. They were all participants in providing Iran clandestine nuclear and missile parts and designs. "Abstention would have put us with this lot," noted an official. That Iran did not bother to distance itself from the land of A. Q. Khan, from whom it had bought centrifuges, did not help. |
| Posted by:john |