THE BUSH administration is manoeuvering to balance possible big new US arms sales to archrivals India and Pakistan in the new year.
In the past week, US Vice-President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have made separate visits, not announced in advance, to Pakistan, a key ally in the US-declared war on terrorism.
Islamabad will make up its mind in the coming year on a US offer to resume F-16 fighter aircraft sales after a 16-year break, Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri said after Cheney left.
Earlier this month, Air Force Lt Gen Jeffrey Kohler, head of the Pentagon`s Defence Security Cooperation Agency, said he expected Pakistan to modify buying plans because of the October 8 earthquake that killed more than 73,000 people.
"I think that what we were ready to do right before the earthquake is probably going to have to change," Kohler had said earlier this month. "We will get back with Pakistan early in the new year and see what they want to do," he added. Before the temblor, Pakistan had asked about buying as many as 75 new F-16C/D models and 11 refurbished F-16s, Kohler said in May.
The single-engine multi-role F-16 is built by Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corp. New purchases would boost a fleet of about 32 F-16s acquired before Congress cut off sales in 1990 over Pakistan`s nuclear program.
Read more
Search This Blog
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Fair Use Notice
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to advance understanding arms trade activities, for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site.
The material is being made available in an effort to advance understanding arms trade activities, for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.