President Bush has made a big bet — that his agreement with India on nuclear technology will make the world a safer place.

It's a calculated risk that could easily backfire given all the repercussions with other countries in the nuclear game. In fact, the India deal has the potential of making 21st-century nuclear politics more treacherous than ever.

That's why Congress will have to look over the deal carefully to make sure it's an agreement the American public can live with — now and in the future.

The principle concern is the backslide of the U.S. on the safety issue.

After years of decrying India's failure to sign a non-proliferation agreement, the U.S. now agrees to sell India nuclear fuel and reactor components that would also allow it to continue to develop nuclear weapons.

The only difference now appears to be the reality of global economics where U.S. companies want Indian consumers, setting up the trade: business enrichment for nuclear enrichment.

But giving in to India creates tension elsewhere. And tension is not good in nuclear politics.

China, which has opened its markets to U.S. companies, must now be wondering if the U.S. favors India.

There's also the double-standard created, where India, once a "bad guy" country, is suddenly OK. But Iran and North Korea? Never.

And what of India's rival, Pakistan, which has helped the U.S. fight al-Qaida? But for years, its top nuclear engineer, Abdul Qadeer Khan, operated a thriving nuclear black market. It's one reason Pakistan didn't get a deal like India's last week.

That's why Congress will have to determine carefully if the India deal is in the best interest of world peace — in both the short and long term.