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August 12, 1996

US Embassy in New Delhi Telegram 9250 to State Department, 'Ambassador’s Meeting with Opposition Leader'

This document was made possible with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)

Report on US Ambassador to India Frank Wisner's meeting with Indian Opposition Leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee about the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and halting any nuclear test. The Ambassador found the meeting unproductive. The CTBT was central to the discussion but it was evident that Vajpayee was not interested and his “body language” indicated that he was inclined to favor a nuclear test. During one point in the discussion, Vajpayee asked, “What if we start underground tests?” According to the embassy’s message, “we interpret his question about testing as indicating that [he] and the BJP would favor a test” and would not be persuaded by U.S. arguments—“reason”—to forego one.


Document Information

Source

Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) Request to the U.S. Department of State, Case No. M-2009-00895, Released 8/15/2012. Contributed by William Burr, National Security Archive.

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Original Uploaded Date

2013-02-21

Type

Telegram

Language

Record ID

116352

Original Classification

Confidential

Donors

Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)