ABC19980513.1830.0063
NEWS
CAPTION
Good evening. They did it again -- the Indians, with much of the world
already stunned by their nuclear tests on Monday, they did it twice
more today. The Clinton administration is appalled, not to mention
embarrassed and angry that it found out just like the rest of us.
In Pakistan, next door to India, the foreign minister said today that
India has gone berserk. There's a lot of talk out there today about
a new arms race. We begin with the president who's in Germany today.
ABC's Jim Wooten is with him in Berlin. Pomp and pageantry, then the
problems. India's nuclear tests were wrong, just wrong, the president
said. They clearly create a dangerous new instability in their region,
and as a result and in accordance with United States law, I have decided
to impose economic sanctions against India. The sanctions are more
than symbolic. With food and medicine excepted, no more foreign aid
-- it was $140 million this year -- no credit from the American government,
and the U.S. will try to persuade the world bank not to make any more
loans to India. This year, they totaled $3 billion. Maybe, said the
president, with chancellor Kohl at his side, maybe the new Delhi government
simply wants a little respect on the global stage. but -- It's just
wrong. And they clearly don't need it to maintain their security.
Vis-A-vis, China, Pakistan or anybody else. I think that they've made
a terrible mistake. Mr. Clinton said he spoke with the Pakistani prime
minister today, urged him not to respond in kind. A good conversation,
he called it, but he wouldn't say what the prime minister's answer
was. Jim Wooten, ABC News, with the president in Berlin.