It may be too early to pronounce the strategically important Indo-US nuclear deal as kaput.  AFP, via Yahoo News reported that India's ruling Congress Party says the deal is still on despite staunch opposition from a coalition of Communists and Hindu Nationalists.The Press Trust of India quoted Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed as saying, "The deal is not in cold storage and is very much in the offing.  It is not correct to say that the deal has been put on hold or put on the back-burner."Under the agreement, the US and other countries would provide India with fissile material and reactor technology, while India must put civilian nuclear facilities under international safeguards, including inspections.  But the arrangement is also critical to satisfy India's rising energy needs in order to isolate Iran and stymie Putin's bid for influence in South Asia.It also appears that France, under the leadership of Sarkozy, is also stepping up to the plate (again) by...(Read Full Post)