Congressional sources said on Tuesday that the bill was unlikely to be taken up during the current session as there are 'limited legislative days left' and so much work to do.
"The Pakistani strongman agreed to withdraw his army from the area and release prisoners in exchange for promises by militants not to attack the Pakistani army or set up a parallel government.
Dismissing speculations that the India-United States nuclear agreement was 'dead', the Bush administration has said that Washington will continue to work towards making the landmark deal a reality. "We are still very supportive of the deal. We still would like to see it move forward, but the Indian government and the political system is engaged in a debate, and we'll see what the outcome out of that debate is," US States Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
The letter is now said to have been written by Thomas W Graham, an academic working on non-proliferation matters who was active on issues pertaining to India.\n\n
"I am concerned that this decision by the Bush administration, coupled with their continued policy of increased military assistance for Pakistan, will mean a step backward in the US-India relations," Pallone said.
Pointing to The Washington Post piece on Monday about the dramatic expansion in Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, Ackerman said the import of the story is "truly alarming" in the context of a pending sale by US of F-16 fighter-bombers.
The message is said to have been conveyed to a small group of top Indian-American community leaders on Monday by senior White House officials, a source privy to the goings on told PTI. "We are confident that just like last time, the bill will be passed by a substantial majority. With that a new era will begin for India's nuclear programme," the officials were quoted by the source as saying.
This is Rice's first trip to India after assuming her new charge in the second Bush administration.
Chances of the Indo-US nuclear deal going through the Congress this month got a boost Friday with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives and a leading Democrat hoping that the 30-day rule for the legislation to be considered will be waived. Pelosi also said that the deal has the support of the House and hoped it can be considered before the Congress session ends on September 26.
'The ball is once again in India's court to move the deal forward. And yes, time is indeed of the essence,' one official said.
Asking the US Congress to "act soon" on the crucial civil nuclear agreement with India, the White House has said the Bush administration will work very closely with members of the Congress to ensure the passage of the deal in a "timely fashion".
In other developments, The Bush administration sought Sunday to allay concerns that a Shiite religious state could emerge in Iraq as a result of last weekend's elections.
US Ambassador Robert D Blackwill said on Wednesday that Washington has appealed to India to participate in the reconstruction and stabilisation of Iraq.
Despite optimism that the deal will be sealed, differences marred talks between the two sides.
The proposed $1.2 billion arms package would be the largest US foreign military sale to Pakistan since sanctions against the country were lifted in late 2001.
The talks come at a time when US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice all set to take over as the next secretary of state and her deputy Stephen Hadley ready to replace her in the wake of the resignation of Colin Powell.
The efforts of the Bush administration to get Congress pass legislation that will allow the United States to sell nuclear technology to India and accept it as a full-time partner in the international nuclear community.
The US must abandon the long outdated diplomacy characterized by power politics and hegemony, said the People's Daily.
McCormack wanted what he described as 'our friends in Pakistan' to view a free media as an institution that ultimately strengthens the society and added that the media has a responsibility to report the news accurately and objectively.
What could be the reason for Condi's contemplation?
If Iran does not react in a positive way, there will obviously have to be some action by the Security Council, Rice said.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said at a press briefing that 'within the last year or so, we have seen more defined training capabilities of Al Qaeda in western Pakistan, along with Taliban safe havens there.'
McCormack was also asked to comment on media reports that there are some demands that Washington is not happy with and those could make the whole deal break.
the Iraqi ruler may have moved weapons of mass destruction into Syria before the March, 2003 invasion by the US-led coalition, say reports.
Top law makers led by Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives Tom Lantos have urged the Bush administration to maintain favorable conditions for importing products from India to keep up the pace of its trade with the Uni
Boucher, who is the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, was asked by rediff.com not to dodge the question but to clearly articulate which one was binding on Indiathe Hyde Act or the 123 agreement. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had recently assured the Congress that for the nuclear deal to be consummated, it has to be consistent with the Hyde Act.
A senior Bush Administration official said the US is working closely with European allies, Russia, India and China to deter Iran's nuclear ambitions.
"I think one of the things that is clear is that the Dalai Lama is not calling for independence for Tibet. He is calling for engagement with Chinese officials in dialogue. And we support that call. We very much want to see the Chinese speak with the Dalai Lama or his representatives to try and resolve many of these outstanding issues," Deputy Spokesman of the US State Department Tom Casey said.
The Bush administration has earmarked $300 million for Pakistan from nearly $300 billion that the White House is seeking from the Congress for the global war on terror.
"We would say about this election what we would say about virtually any other election around the globe, and that is you want to see the candidates have access to media. You want to see people be able to freely express themselves in a peaceful manner, free from threat of violence or intimidation," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement ahead of the February 18 polls in Pakistan.
