This week one of them, Nicholas Burns, a senior State Department man, said he expected an agreement with India on the clearer separation of its civilian nuclear activities from its military ones, as well as new American legislation to exempt India from the existing anti-nuclear rules, to be in place by the time Mr Bush pays a return visit to India in early 2006.

ECONOMIST: Diplomacy and proliferation

Its nuclear posture includes, he believes, separation of warheads from launchers to minimise mistakes and a response time calibrated to avoid panic reaction.

ECONOMIST: India and Pakistan: Old foes, still foes | The