NEWS: Bush Agrees to Sell F-16s to Pakistan

President Bush has agreed to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan in an attempt to strengthen them as a key ally against the war on terrorism. This is a change of policy as the US had formerly blocked the sales of F-16's to the Middle Eastern country.



How does this affect what is happening in the Middle East? This obviously strengthens Pakistani security but now India is concerned that this "could have negative consequences for India's security environment." The US hasn't declined India's request, but stated "We will respond positively to the Indian tender for bids to sell multi-role combat aircraft."

I imagine how India may feel about all this power going to Pakistan because US feels they are "helping"

But I am more concern about how really truthful Pakistan has been about helping with the fight on "Terror" they said the are, but I have not seen anything really.

I wonder if this has anything to do with this...

news.ft.com...

Pakistan may hand over nuclear centrifuges

Pakistan said Friday it might hand over components of used nuclear centrifuges to the International Atomic Energy Agency to help establish how far Iran's nuclear programme has progressed.

Pakistan's possible willingness to hand over centrifuges emerged during a local television interview of General Pervez Musharraf, the pro-US military ruler.

“To end the issue once and for all, we want to send nuclear centrifuges to Vienna for inspection. The matter is under consideration,” he said.

Am I the only one that thinks that this may end up as one of those situations where - in the future - we end up being on the business end of these weapon systems?

Like others, I am a little sceptical of Pakistans commitment to being an American ally. Selling them f-16's doesnt seem like the best idea, given that the general public doesnt seem to like us much, and they also dont seem to like Musareff either.

Why would we help to arm a country teetering on the edge of revolt. A non-US revolt.

I just hope they put a disable code in them that we can send, if they ever decide to turn against us.

Um, WTF.

Just FIVE DAYS AGO, the Pakistanis got up and had a massive demonstration in Lahore to protest President Musharaff's policies.

www.cnn.com...

LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Tens of thousands of people from all religious parties have staged a rally in Karachi against Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, declaring him unacceptable because of his pro-American policies.

During Sunday's rally, Muthaida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of Islamic parties, called for a nationwide general strike on April 2 to protest rising unemployment and inflation, the promotion of secularism and the exclusion of religious affiliations on passports...

..Fazlur-Rahman also warned the United States not to interfere in Pakistani internal issues.

Many in the crowd carried banners inveighing against the United States and Musharraf. "Musharraf motto is to kill the people, rob the people and lick the boots of Americans," said one sign.

Alliance representatives said they would hold rallies against Musharraf during the coming weeks.

So, um, let me get this straight.

Musharraf is facing massive revolts by a large anti-US portion of the Pakistani population, and they promise they will eventually oust him and renew their "Islamic identity".


What a GREAT idea to send these guys some fighter jets!

Am I the only one here saying OMFG?

Jakomo - you forgot that the most important thing is the guys making money selling more aircraft & weapons - nothing else matters when it comes to making hordes of money.

Say, arnt these the same F-16's that Powell was relieved that Pakistan didnt bring up in talks last year?!

Powell said Pakistan's request to buy more F-16's did not come up in his talks, wiping his brow in mock relief.

( I tried to find a newslink using that quote, in google as that is how I original found that news last year, but instead found something else interesting,.... that news from last year disappeared! (Well not completely, as it is still available via the Cached links) )

Click Here to do google search using the quoted phrase which was widely used at the time it was first published, and click on any of the 5 results. Only one works anymore.

[edit on 25-3-2005 by smirkley]

Well lets make up some 4 plane dealer packs of these things and start selling them on ebay...

Yeah... everyone who wondered... we will see these again... shooting at our planes...

if money is truly the main reason, then lets sell these to India also... why not?
their money is as good as Pakistans... and then neither side can complain about unfair advantage...

I hate the war industry, but the reality of it is, if they didn't buy ours, they would buy theirs...

I'm thinking India will be in store for a much larger military reward than what we are seeing in Pakistan. The relationship between the US and India has molded significantly

in.news.yahoo.com...

Carburetor

This F-16 deal has been on the back burner for a while now. I remember it was specifically brought up a few days after 9/11 when we were seeking Pakistani assistance against the Taliban. Not sure if Musharraf will ever turn over A. Q. Khan or even allow US access to him, defying public pressure. Here are some past details:

Although Pakistan is still a state spawning Islamic fundamentalists and obscurantists from its madrassas (religious seminaries), Washington has opened up its pocketbooks again. Over the next five years, Pakistan will get at least US$1.5 billion in defense aid from the US as part of a $3 billion aid package. An announcement made at IDEAS 2004 suggests where some of that money is going to be spent: Pakistani officials revealed that the US is ready to reverse its longtime opposition to selling new F-16 fighter jets to Islamabad. The chief of the Pakistani air force told a journalist that Washington wants to provide the F-16s, in part, to help Pakistan fight Islamist extremists in the tribal areas in the northwestern part of the country, though anyone in strategic business should know that if ever these aircraft were used in combat they would be used against India.

F-16's for Pakistan

THe Indians are looking at the F-16 as I reported a fw months ago int he aviation forum. This may just be an attempt to induce the IAF to buy some of thier own.

However, It is unlikely that Pakistan can afford enough of the figters to effect the balance of power

They wouldn't be the first, and I doubt they'd be the last.

But if the choice is having somewhat outmoded air superiority aircraft used against me, or nuclear devices (supposedly there's a trade deal to cut down on Pak's proliferation of nukes), I'll take the plane.

Originally posted by Black Flag
Am I the only one that thinks that this may end up as one of those situations where - in the future - we end up being on the business end of these weapon systems?

Like others, I am a little sceptical of Pakistans commitment to being an American ally. Selling them f-16's doesnt seem like the best idea, given that the general public doesnt seem to like us much, and they also dont seem to like Musareff either.

Why would we help to arm a country teetering on the edge of revolt. A non-US revolt.

You help a country like Pakistan because you don't want the revolt.

If Musharref goes, the implications will be felt everywhere, not least of all Afganistan.

-----

In other news, the European Union has criticized the United States in it's sell of weapons to Pakistan and possibly India. An EU spokesman has said that "the Human Rights situation in Pakistan has not improved and that the weapon sales would bring instability into South Asia".

France and Germany were more blunt, accusing of the US of valuing profits over human rights. The EU has also threatened to buy Flankers instead of F-35's.

[edit on 25-3-2005 by rapier28]

lol, they critisize us yet they want to sell weapons to a country who can directly threaten us with a human rights record as bad as pakistan, mmhmm .

Originally posted by namehere
lol, they critisize us yet they want to sell weapons to a country who can directly threaten us with a human rights record as bad as pakistan, mmhmm .

namehere, i was being sarcastic.

Did the last F-16 we sold them end up in the hands of China - which used that as the model for the J-10? (where is intelgurl when we need her!)

Anway, I feel like we're dissing India by doing this.

Originally posted by Bob88
Did the last F-16 we sold them end up in the hands of China - which used that as the model for the J-10? (where is intelgurl when we need her!)

Anway, I feel like we're dissing India by doing this.

Yeah, but the final design of the J-10 is very different to the F-16.

Besides, this is one more reason to sell to Pakistan, it's not like China's going to buy it again.

Originally posted by Bob88

Anway, I feel like we're dissing India by doing this.

Will the United States deal F-16's to India as well?

SOURCE
The United States has told India that American defense companies would be allowed to bid for the multi-role combat aircraft that India wants to buy, Navtej Sarna, the External Affairs Ministry spokesman, told reporters in New Delhi.

A group from the United States is expected in India shortly for discussions. At a defense seminar in Bangalore, India, the nation's air force chief said the U.S.-built F-16 and France's Mirage jet fighters are among the warplanes India is considering for a purchase of 126 new aircraft.

Or will India take their business elsewhere, say, China?

SOURCE
The Bush administration's decision to sell F-16 jets to Pakistan amounts to "rejecting India at the altar" of a new relationship, former Senator Larry Pressler has said.

"If I were the leader of India I would have no option but to seek an alliance with China for military reasons," Pressler said.

Asked how seriously the F-16 might affect bilateral relations with India, he said, "It is hard to stay in the short-term. India is in a very subservient position with the US because of many reasons. But in the long-term it cannot be good."

These Falcons were originally sold to Pakistan during the 1980's, but were never delivered. Can't find the story but the administration is supposedly just following through on the previous sale now that whatever sanctions existed at the time have been dropped.