THE DYNAMICS OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY IN THE ISSUE OF CIVILIAN NUCLEAR COOPERATION WITH INDIA DURING CLINTON AND BUSH ADMINISTRATIONS

SF. Lukfianka Sanjaya Purnama, Riza Noer Arfani

2009 | Tesis | Ilmu Hubungan Internasional

SF. Lukfianka Sanjaya Purnama. 07/260482/PSP/3148. 2009. The Dynamics of American Foreign Policy in the Issue of Civilian Nuclear Cooperation with India during Clinton and Bush Administrations. Program Studi Ilmu Politik, Konsentrasi Hubungan Internasional. Post Graduate Program. Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta. This research focused on American foreign policy toward India in the issue of civilian nuclear cooperation. It was aimed to analyze factors contributing to the failure of the Clinton administration and the success of Bush administration to have a civilian nuclear deal with India, and to find out why the U.S. wants to have a civilian nuclear cooperation with India. Foreign policy is a means to achieve national interest objectives. Based on this assumption, the U.S. foreign policy to have closer ties with India and to have civilian nuclear cooperation with India was a means for the United States to achieve its national interest. The decision was initially taken by Bill Clinton and then followed by George W. Bush. The results, however, were different between both administrations The U.S. started to make a shift in its stance toward India by trying to have closer relations with India. Bill Clinton, still concerned with the threat of India’s nuclear weapons, offered India a civilian nuclear cooperation in exchange of India’s ratification for CTBT. George W. Bush, however, offered totally different requirements for India in exchange of a civilian nuclear cooperation. He just demanded India to separate its civilian and military nuclear reactors, and put the first under IAEA safeguards. The Clinton administration failed while the Bush administration succeeded in having a civilian nuclear deal with India. Carrying out the analysis, it was found out that the president-congress relationship was the most significance factor in the success or failure of the civilian nuclear cooperation with India as both are multiple autonomous actors which cannot act unilaterally to carry out an agreement with other countries. While Bush, as president from Republican, experienced decent relationship with the Republican-dominated Congress, Bill Clinton, president from Democrat, had to experience the impacts of a divided government in which the Congress was dominated by the Republican. The international condition during Bush’s term was also more stable compared with that of during Clinton’s term. As a result, Clinton failed while Bush succeeded to have a civilian nuclear deal with India. The rising India offers threat as well as opportunity for the U.S. interests thus makes the U.S to make priority shift. The shift to deal with India more closely gives great influences for its decision to normalize its civilian nuclear cooperation with India. There are three reasons make the U.S. want to have nuclear deal with India. First, this normalization is made for U.S. security interest especially in counterweighing China. Second, India’s closer relations with Iran threaten the U.S interest so that it needs to embrace India on its side to help isolating Iran. Third, by having the deal, the U.S opens up new markets in India for the U.S’ nuclear energy and military industry. For these reasons, U.S. decided to normalize their civilian nuclear cooperation with India.

Kata Kunci : Politik-Amerika Serikat