Tom Harkin: “India has denied but Indian officials have failed to state clearly and categorically that India will refrain from…”

“India has denied but Indian officials have failed to state clearly and categorically that India will refrain from testing. I fear, and many others fear, if India proceeds with its testing program then Pakistan will feel obligated for their own security reasons to follow suit. This deadly game of chicken would almost certainly escalate. To make matters even more troubling, reports today indicate that international negotiations in Geneva on a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty are being severely complicated, perhaps even undermined, by India's insistence to link a test ban with total nuclear disarmament. Mr. President, India must be reminded that a nuclear test will trigger severe economic sanctions. U.S. military and economic aid, U.S. support for loans by the World Bank and other multilateral institutions, and export licenses, would all be suspended. Mr. President, it is time for both India and Pakistan to pull back from a nuclear collision course. It is time to end the nuclear saber-rattling and begin real talks at the negotiating table. To that end, Mr. President, I commend the recent statement by Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto expressing Pakistan's willingness to meet with India anywhere in the world at any time to ensure that what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki does not happen in Pakistan or India. I hope Indian officials take up her offer. It is the right thing to do.”