(11 May 1998) English/Nat
India's decision to conduct three nuclear tests on Monday has sparked fears of a regional nuclear arms race with its rival, and neighbour, Pakistan.
India's first nuclear tests since 1974 have been condemned by Islamabad, which is calling for sanctions.
The U-S says it is deeply disappointed.
Since conducting a peaceful nuclear explosion in 1974, India has not been prepared to state publicly whether it has a weapons capability or not.
But on Monday its announcement that it has carried out three underground nuclear tests has sparked fears of a regional nuclear arms race with its rival, and neighbour, Pakistan.
Fighting in the disputed Kashmir region has led to an arms race between India and Pakistan.
The countries have fought three wars in the last 50 years.
But on Monday, India upped the ante -- its tests, firm evidence of its nuclear capabilities.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee told reporters the explosions occurred at 1015 GMT at a testing range in the desert 550 kilometers (330 miles) southwest of New Delhi.
He claimed it did not release radiation into the atmosphere.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Today at 1535 hours India conducted 3 underground nuclear tests in the Pokharan Range. These tests conducted today there was a fission device, a low level device and a thermo nuclear device. The major our in with expected values. Measurements have also confirmed there was no release of radio activity into the atmosphere. These were controlled explosions - like experiments conducted in May in 1974. I warmly congratulate the scientists who have carried out these successful
tests."
SUPER CAPTION: Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indian Prime Minister
India and Pakistan were both widely suspected of nuclear capability because they had not joined the 1970 nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
The treaty bans the testing of nuclear weapons to prevent an arms race between nations, and the document is now observed by 185 countries worldwide.
Vajpayee's government, which came to power in March, says India needs nuclear weapons to prevent what it calls military adventurism by neighboring Pakistan.
At present Pakistan rules over two thirds of Kashmir and one third is under dispute.
There have also been reports that India carried out a missile test along with the nuclear test.
The U-S has reacted to the testing, saying that it was deeply disappointed and that is was giving 'very serious' consideration to India's actions.
A question mark now hangs over U-S President Bill Clinton's planned visit to India and Pakistan later this year, although spokesman Mike McCurry said he did not mean to imply that the trip might be cancelled.
The U-S is also urging calm from Pakistan.
The country's Foreign Minister, Gohar Ayub, said India had now sucked Pakistan into a nuclear arms race and has called for sanctions against its rival.
Past Indian governments have said its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, such as generating electricity.
Pakistan also recently tested it's Ghauri missile amidst criticism from India.
Last week, India's defence minister, George Fernandes, accused China of being Delhi's biggest military threat - accusing Beijing of helping Pakistan to develop nuclear weapons.
It's a claim refuted by both Beijing and Islamabad.

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