Friday, March 3 2006 15:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The Indo-US nuclear deal has evoked a mixed reaction among the Congressmen with some saying it would strengthen bilateral ties, while one critic went to the extent of calling it a 'historic nuclear failure'.

Chairman of the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives, Henry Hyde, said he welcomes the 'further strengthening of US-India cooperation'.

Implementing this agreement, he said, would require legislative approval. "It is the responsibility of this Committee to thoroughly examine the specific provisions of this agreement and its potential consequences for US interests and those of the international community."

An outspoken critic of the deal, Democratic Rep. Ed Markey said "With one simple move, the President has blown a hole in the nuclear rules that the entire world has been playing by."

Terming the deal as a 'historic nuclear failure', Markey said it endangers US national security.

The Bush Administration will have to get the deal through Congress, which means one the first Committees that will be involved are the International Relations Committee of the House and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush yesterday agreed on the plan of implementation of the civilian nuclear cooperation pact they had reached in July last year.

Bush had admitted in New Delhi yesterday that "It's difficult for the American President to sell (the deal) to our Congress, because some people just don't want to change and change with the times."