Former US ambassador to India Robert Blackwill on Wednesday expressed the hope that the Indo-US nuclear deal would be approved by Congress by June, but said it appeared to be a "very ambitious target".

"I am optimistic that a significant majority in both Houses of the US Congress will vote for it. They will support it and vote for it when the voting happens in the present form as it is being formulated," Blackwill, who is now president of Barbour Griffith and Rogers International, said at a CII meet in New Delhi.

• Support N-deal

He, however, said that the timeframe would be crucial and the deal has to be got through by June though it looks like a "very ambitious target".

"It is very hard to do things rapidly in the US Congress. It will be a daunting task to get the agreement through before the Congress adjourns by end of June," Blackwill said adding, the Congress would re-assemble in September and then it would be pre-occoupied with election of representatives and such other work, which would delay the deal indefinitely.

• Indo-US nuke tango

He clarified that the Congress would have no problem in clearing the nuclear deal and arguments like Pakistan too would like to have a similar deal, it would present India in bad light and accuse it of bad behaviour and that it would impact non-proliferation regime would not act as obstacles.

"They would approve it on the basis of strategic long term relation with India," he said.

Deliberating on the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism, Blackwill said India too should "think seriously about its Muslim population and the rising radical Islamic terrorism. Can India remain completely immune to its Muslim population given the kind of Islamic terrorism that is rising in the Middle East?" he asked adding, this would have implications in the Indian as well as global economy.

He said the George Bush [Images] administration could think of declaring an "American military attack" on Iran as it foresees a "gathering storm" in the Middle East, particularly Iran, and the next year or two would be "living dangerously in Middle East".

"It would be horrible to attack Iran, but it is showing no signs of compromise on the nuclear issue," he said adding, an attack on Iran would have a "volcanic response" in most of the Islamic world and would have significant impact on international oil prices and could also solidify the people of Iran behind the present political regime.

Stating that Indo-US interactions have improved during the Bush regime, Blackwill said diplomatic interaction between the two countries should be further intensified and there should be more exchange of intelligence information.

"We may be natural allies, but we are not gonna have an alliance," he said.

He said India should do more in affirming its position with regard to the Middle East while the US should take India's views more seriously.

Blackwill also said that the diplomatic dialogue should be kept out of the media.