A Nuclear India

With support from both parties in Congress, President Bush is about to sign an agreement to sell India nuclear fuel and technology. Under the deal, India's 14 civilian reactors will be open to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency, but eight military reactors will not. Supporters call the democracy, which holds one-fifth of the world's population and has a desperate need for energy, a counterweight to China and a vast potential market for American business. But India refused to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; it developed and twice tested its own atom bomb. Opponents warn, this deal could mean the end of efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. We weigh the pros and cons of a historic agreement. Is India a "responsible" nuclear power? What about Pakistan and China?