NID: INDIA: MUTED RESPONSE TO US NUCLEAR CERTIFICATION DELAY

Created: 10/16/1990

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

INDIA: Muled Response lo US Nuclear Certification Delay

Indian officials have been low-key in responding to the US delay in certifying that Pakistan docs notuclear explosiveme commentators have called the lack of certification, and the cgaliy mandated US aid cutoff that wouldajor plus for India, but New Delhi has notublic statement on the issue.

Comment New Delhi has long maintained that Islamabaduclear weapons program and wouldutoff in US aid to Pakistan as irrefutable evidence. Indian officials probably have been slow to react because they are uncertain how toublic debate on nuclear policy, and they are preoccupiedumber of domestic problems. Some Indian politicians favor an overt nuclear program and probably would try to use any US action on certification toolitical debate on nuclear policy. Indian officials are unlikely, however, to adopt an overt weapon* program even if Washington does notertificationl-

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