A defiant India conducted two more underground nuclear tests in the desert today, just days after setting off three blasts that outraged the world. In a statement, the government said its testing is now complete, and it’s prepared to consider a ban on such nuclear testing. India refused to sign a global test ban treaty approved by the United Nations in 1996, arguing it froze the advantage held by nations like the United States and France that had already tested and refined sophisticated nuclear weapons. On Monday, after the first tests were conducted, the government indicated India was prepared to reopen talks on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, but this time as a nuclear state. In response, President Clinton has ordered economic sanctions, including a cutoff in U.S. assistance to India, though precise details are still unclear.
India Conducts Two More Underground Nuclear Tests
HeadlineMay 13, 1998