[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 439 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 439

       Concerning India's recent detonation of 5 nuclear devices.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 1998

Mr. Underwood submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                the Committee on International Relations

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                               RESOLUTION


 
       Concerning India's recent detonation of 5 nuclear devices.

Whereas the Hindu Nationalist (BJP) Government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari 
        Vajpayee is just 7 weeks old;
Whereas India announced, and it was confirmed by seismic detection devices, that 
        India detonated 3 nuclear devices on Monday May 11, 1998, at the Pokaran 
        test site in North Western India and detonated 2 devices on Wednesday, 
        May 13, 1998, in the Thar desert in North Western India;
Whereas India claims that 1 of the devices was a thermonuclear device, otherwise 
        known as a hydrogen bomb;
Whereas this is the second time India has performed nuclear testing;
Whereas the first ever test conducted in India occurred on May 15, 1974;
Whereas India claims that this recent test was much more powerful than its first 
        2 decades ago;
Whereas the Government of India has not renounced any further testing of nuclear 
        devices, despite world-wide condemnation of her actions;
Whereas the provocative nature of this test may create a regional arms race 
        between India and Pakistan;
Whereas nuclear testing is not conducive to the establishment of peace and 
        stability in South Asia;
Whereas nuclear tests are in direct defiance of the Comprehensive Test Ban 
        Treaty endorsed in 1996 by no less than 149 nations;
Whereas, despite the fact that India is not a signatory of the treaty, India's 
        tests run counter to an international effort to promulgate a 
        comprehensive ban on nuclear weapons testing;
Whereas, ironically, India's founding Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru first 
        proposed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty;
Whereas the recent nuclear tests make India's development of missile technology 
        all the more ominous; and
Whereas missile systems such as India's Agni and Prithvi have ranges in excess 
        of 1,400 miles, capable of reaching 15 nations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) despite the long history of friendship between the 
        United States and India, is deeply troubled by India's recent 
        reckless behavior and its unwillingness to sign on to the 
        Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Non-Proliferation Treaty;
            (2) strongly urges Pakistan to exercise restraint and 
        resist the temptation to prepare for nuclear weapons testing of 
        its own for the sake of greater peace and stability in South 
        Asia; and
            (3) supports the economic sanctions imposed on India by the 
        President under the authority of the Nuclear Proliferation 
        Prevention Act of 1994.
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