Gillard's push for uranium sales to India

[El Weirdo]

Wanting others to recognise India as a Rising Power doesn't not mean India is one. India has to work towards it and not beg or nag other to recognise her as one.

Fro m what I have read in the Irish media.. its not india but the `neighbour` whose in the begging business since 1948 to be precise.

 

[53fd]

If you dont wish to be someone, you will never be that someone. And just wishing is not the end to itself, the proof of the pudding is in eating.

India was always bracketed with Pakistan all through 6 decades since independence. India did not like that one bit just like how Pakistan does not like the term Af- Pak today. Things have changed for India now. Pakistan is not treated in the same plane as India and that my friend is international acknowledgment that we are in a different plane. It is not chest thumping but it is simple vindication of ground realities.

No, it's not about planes. It's more like the US's broader policy of trying to prop India up to counter China's influence in the region.

 

[Mech]

No, it's not about planes. It's more like the US's broader policy of trying to prop India up to counter China's influence in the region.

If that helps you sleep better, then so be it.

 

[Tshering22]

All this has to be seen in the context of recent lobbying by the US to create an US-India-Australia alliance against China.

Gillard just met with Obama at the G20 summit and Obama is due to visit Australia soon.

This is COMMERCIAL Uranium sale. None of this is going to the military reactors as we have our own resources enough for that. That's the whole reason why Nuke deal took so long; so that IAEA and NSG ensured that we didn't use these for military reasons.

Simply put, business deals on nukes are not done on mere geo-strategic suggestions. The uranium will fire up our energy needs.

The reason why market penetration by nuclear companies is being sought in here is because once our Thorium reactors come in, we'd almost be self-reliant in power and hence the stakes of new companies entering competition for nuclear sale would become much, much higher for new comers against established ones like Areva, TVEL etc.

Pure commercial reasons to seek consolidation of a huge potential customer market.

 

[53fd]

If that helps you sleep better, then so be it.

What does this have to do with my sleep?

 

[53fd]

This is COMMERCIAL Uranium sale. None of this is going to the military reactors as we have our own resources enough for that. That's the whole reason why Nuke deal took so long; so that IAEA and NSG ensured that we didn't use these for military reasons.

Simply put, business deals on nukes are not done on mere geo-strategic suggestions. The uranium will fire up our energy needs.

The reason why market penetration by nuclear companies is being sought in here is because once our Thorium reactors come in, we'd almost be self-reliant in power and hence the stakes of new companies entering competition for nuclear sale would become much, much higher for new comers against established ones like Areva, TVEL etc.

Pure commercial reasons to seek consolidation of a huge potential customer market.

Of course it is commercial uranium sale, as per the NPT rules. However, India's local uranium will be used for its nuclear weapons program, & this deal with compensate for it.

 

[janon]

Of course it is commercial uranium sale, as per the NPT rules. However, India's local uranium will be used for its nuclear weapons program, & this deal with compensate for it.

I think we have to accept this point being made repeatedly by our pakistani friends. We cannot pretend that buying Uranium from abroad will not help our weaponisation in any way, as it does free up our own reserves. However, you have to understand that that weaponisation will happen irrespective of whether we get uranium from abroad or not. It is our civilian energy needs that will be severely hampered without foreign supply of uranium. After all, we need that supply for electricity generation for decades to come, in fact for any foreseeable future. That is not the case with uranium needed for weaponisation, since we dont intend to produce thousands of warheads for several decades. We only intend to maintain our credible deterrance, and nobody doubts that.

Also, the world has come to accept the reality that India is a nuclear weapons state, and doesn't seem to be too concerned about that anymore. There is another country that is of bigger concern, and the reasons are well known. They are not going to punish India for that by denying it the huge energy needs that it has to keep the economic growth going. If they try, they do so at their own peril - they lose out on the business opportunity, and gain nothing.

 

[Tshering22]

Of course it is commercial uranium sale, as per the NPT rules. However, India's local uranium will be used for its nuclear weapons program, & this deal with compensate for it.

See that is where the scenario is very different from your case. In the coming 5-8 years, Thorium reactors will come up in India including heavy water reactors. Which means that since we possess more than 30% of world's reserves, for one country we have more than enough for our needs. This means a small window of opportunity that countries will get only now selling Uranium.

It is pure economics. They want money; we want energy. Tomorrow even if Australia was to say no and we continued to get it from Russia, France, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Namibia etc, in the coming 8-10 years our Plutonium and Uranium reserves would be free (due to Thorium reactors coming up) to go ahead with the nuclear program if we want.

So whether it is this way or that way, only these countries who refuse will lose big profits now. Our nuclear program can never be controlled by their whims.

A pragmatic economist would suggest immediate release of first batch of uranium shipment to India; that is what Gillard Government is saying.

 

[patna_ke_presley]

Of course it is commercial uranium sale, as per the NPT rules. However, India's local uranium will be used for its nuclear weapons program, & this deal with compensate for it.

100 nukes are enough for India and they don't need extra. India's main concern is power sector as industries depends on that.

 

[nForce]

No, it's not about planes. It's more like the US's broader policy of trying to prop India up to counter China's influence in the region.

The US can think whatever they like as long as we get fuel for our reactors.

 

[newdelhinsa]

India can handle China without Australian uranium.

Its not Australia's duty to fight anyone's war or value anyone's security concerns for sake of any morality they (anyone) themselves do not have.

It is so stupid of Pakistan (on China's dictation) to assume they can drill holes in Indian boat of any would be sale of Uranium by throwing juvenile demand just after such revelation made.

Pakistan has already got big NO from Japan following Indian negotiations on a nuclear deal.

The pattern is clear rather doing proactive lobbying for themselves they are trying to earn goodies by crying foul every time when India because of many good reasons and spending resources; building her relationship with others. It further proves how seriously Pakistan takes her nuclear energy program (Which is a joke given capacity and future projections) which is nothing but an effort to increase nuclear bomb fissile material.

Pakistan's nuclear weapon program is an extension of China's nuclear weapon program vise a verse. If no one is saying it openly doesn't mean they do not know it.

Empowering Pakistan so that she can make more fissile material means China may be having a share of same material; who is hiding behind a the mask of genuine nuclear power, signatory of NTP, CTBT, Permanent UN member, a nation who can not afford to show her intentions of increasing her own nuclear arsenal, given it would prompt USA and Russia to reconsider their security calculus (vis a vis China);with a doctrine they follow of preemptive strikes just on a threat perception even.

How Pakistanis are going to explain Canadian uranium sale to India when Canada (finalized many moons before) doesn't have an intention to curb expansionist China, but as alleged by Pakistani posters Australia does?

People ain't any fool, India has already achieved his nuclear energy targets for this year, rather has started producing more electricity than projected targets. India has plan target to generate 25% of its energy via nuclear power in 2050. Only thing we require is more fuel not any other technology which BTW Australia or other suppliers doesn't have or aren't going to provide; of Pakistan and China's concern.

 

[Varad]

Obama backs Australia's u-turn on uranium sale to India

US President Barack Obama today virtually backed Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's plans to sell uranium to India saying it "seemed to be compatible with international law and the NPT".

"India is a big player and the Australia-India relationship is one that should be cultivated," Obama said in his apparent support to Gillard's u-turn yesterday in which she expressed the country's interest to sell uranium to India.

In a lighter vein, US president, who arrived in the country today, said, "I will watch with interest whats determined" as he refuted today's report that his administration had influenced Gillard's decision.

'The Australian' daily had reported that Gillard had moved to lift the ban this week in a bid to strengthen the relation with the fast growing economic powerhouse and "there was some speculation that it was at the urging of the US."

The newspaper said the Obama administration saw Australia's refusal to sell India uranium as "a roadblock to greater engagement between Washington and New Delhi."

However Obama responding to a question said, "I don't think Julia or anybody else needs my advice in figuring that out".

Obama added, "We have not had any influence I suspect on Australia's decision to explore what its relationship in terms of the peaceful use of nuclear energy in India might be," he said.

Obama said Gillard's plan seemed to be compatible with international law and the NPT and added "this is not something between the US and Australia, this is something between India and Australia".

Gillard had yesterday said Australia cannot afford to miss out on the jobs and economic benefits a policy change would bring.

She will take the policy shift to next month's annual ALP conference.

Although Australia uses no nuclear power, the country is the world's third largest uranium producer behind Kazakhstan and Canada exporting 9,600 tonnes of oxide concentrates worth USD 1.1 billion each year.

Obama backs Australia's u-turn on uranium sale to India - World - DNA

 

[KS]

Of course it is commercial uranium sale, as per the NPT rules. However, India's local uranium will be used for its nuclear weapons program, & this deal with compensate for it.

Wrong.

May be used.

No, it's not about planes. It's more like the US's broader policy of trying to prop India up to counter China's influence in the region.

As long as we are getting the C-17s, M777s, yellow cakes, dual use items,P-8Is we aint complaining.

 

[justanobserver]

And the deal is approved by the party. Does it have to go through parliament now ?

Australia's ruling party overturns longstanding ban on uranium exports to India - The Washington Post