T he Jewish Institute for National Securi- ty Affairs (JINSA), a Washington based advocacy group, urged the Obama Adminis- tration to strengthen what it called the "crit- ically important" U.S.-India relationship, especially to counter the alleged nuclear threat from Iran. "The United States could not have a more important partner in the effort to curb Iran- ian nuclear weapons development and counter the scourge of global nuclear prolif- eration than India," said JINSA Executive Director Tom Neumann in a release from the organization March 31. Neumann also expressed concern over the appointment of Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher (D- CA) as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security because of her long-standing opposition to the Unit- ed States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Non-proliferation Enhance- ment Act. He urged President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to take a lead role in ensuring that this law and other U.S. laws related to civil nuclear cooperation with India are fully implemented. Tauscher's appointment as America's top nuclear watchdog, "calls into question the future execution of the Indo-U.S. nuclear agreement," Neumann said. It might cause U.S. to lose New Delhi's recent distancing from Iran, he warned. He also said expand- ing civil nuclear power cooperation with India should not have anything to do with U.S. Pakistan policy. "Caving to demands to go slow on civilian nuclear trade with India to ensure Pakistan's cooperation in the war in Afghanistan would be a grave folly and extremely short-sighted," Neumann said. "There should be no implic- it or explicit linkage – the U.S.-India rela- tionship must remain completely indepen- dent of U.S.-Pakistan relationship." "The manifest importance of securing a united front to contest and roll back Iran's nuclear weapons aspirations must inform the Obama Administration's approach to India and the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear agreement," Neumann said.