The United States and Vietnam are negotiating a nuclear agreement that would allow US firms to sell nuclear material and technology for civilian use to its former Cold War foe, the State Department said Thursday according to dpa. Spokesman PJ Crowley would not confirm a story in the Wall Street Journal Thursday that said Vietnam would maintain the right to enrich uranium on its own soil rather than buy it from current producers. Vietnam, like other members of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, Crowley said. According to the Journal, the administration is facing criticism from members of Congress and non-proliferation experts who say the approach weakens the administration's effort to prevent the spread of dangerous nuclear material.
