The Hindu : National : U.S. wants India to clarify on `minimum credible deterrent'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 08, 2006

National

National

U.S. wants India to clarify on `minimum credible deterrent'

It is "absolutely necessary" for decreasing tensions in Asia: Boucher

— Photo: R.V. Moorthy

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher with Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran in New Delhi on Friday.

New Delhi: Amid efforts by the Bush administration to push the India-U.S. civil nuclear deal through the Congress, Washington on Friday asked India to "further define" its `minimum credible deterrent' in the nuclear field, saying it was "absolutely necessary" for decreasing tensions in Asia.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher also said New Delhi and Islamabad should work out "mutual understandings" to build confidence in both conventional and nuclear areas.

"As in the past, we continue to look to India for leadership in stabilising nuclear and defence relations with its neighbours," he said delivering a talk on `The U.S.-India friendship: Where we were and where we are going' here.

He said the Bush Administration, like the previous U.S. Governments, "pushed for India to further define its `minimum credible deterrent' (in nuclear field) and we continue that today."

The U.S. realises that such discussions are "complicated by China's intentions and by Iran's energetic pursuit of technologies that underlie nuclear weapons." — PTI

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