US aims for total N-freeze in S Asia

Washington: US is pushing for a South Asian halt on nuclear weapons production and has sought India's help in implementing it.

Seeking to assure wary lawmakers about the nuclear deal with India, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that altering the pact would destroy a new partnership with New Delhi.

Replying to a question by Democratic Senator she said that the Bush administration was trying to press hard for a fissile material cutoff treaty in South Asia to prevent production of nuclear weapons.

"We are trying to get the work done on that ourselves. We've told the Indians they need to be helpful in that. They've promised that they will," Rice said on Wednesday.

Pushing for the deal at hearings in the Senate and House International Relations Committee, she said, "I think it would be a significant setback to our efforts to deepen and broaden our relationship with India."