U.S. to Sell F-16 Jets to Pakistan
The United States has agreed to sell about two dozen sophisticated F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan, a diplomatically sensitive move that rewards Pakistan for its help in fighting the war on terror, but has angered next-door rival India.
President Bush, who is spending holiday time at his Texas ranch, spoke on the phone Friday with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who told Bush of his ``great disappointment'' over the decision, Sanjaya Baru, the prime minister's spokesman said.
Singh said that sales to Pakistan would endanger security in the region, Baru said. New Delhi is worried that arming Pakistan with the advanced jet fighters would tilt the military balance in South Asia and could adversely affect the ongoing peace dialogue between India and Pakistan.
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, linked the proposed sales of the planes, manufactured by Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin, directly to Musharraf's cooperation after the terror attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
The sale of F-16s will not change the overall balance of military power in the region and are vital to Pakistan's security as Pakistani President Pervez Musharaff prosecutes the war on terror, said a senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
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