EUROPE

India dismayed as U.S. resumes sales of jet fighters to Pakistan The White House rewarded a crucial ally in the war on terror on March 25, approving the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. But in a measure of the sensitivity of such a sale, Washington also offered New Delhi a licence to produce similar combat aircraft, and George Bush telephoned India’s prime minister, Manmohan Singh, to tell him of the decision in advance. However, an Indian government spokesman said that Mr Singh had expressed “great disappointment” at the move, which the Indian government described as endangering security in the region. Pakistan has been lobbying for more than a decade for a resumption in the supply of the U.S. jet fighters. Islamabad paid for a shipment of F-16s in the late 1980s, but they were never delivered after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Pakistan’s nuclear program..... ––– Report, Guardian Unlimited, London Fighter jets reward Bush war ally The United States has agreed to sell F16 fighter jets to Pakistan in a major policy shift to reward an ally in the war on terrorism. The decision by President Bush to end an embargo on the sale of United States military technology to Pakistan was welcomed by President Musharraf of Pakistan, as a sign of America’s recognition of his role in disrupting terror networks in South-East Asia. The move reverses a longstanding U.S. embargo on the sale of military hardware to Pakistan. “The supply of the sophisticated fighter planes will help Pakistan improve its defense capability,” Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Pakistan’s Information Minister, said. But the sale of as many as 24 jets was condemned by India, Pakistan’s nuclear-armed rival, saying it could lead to an escalation of tension between the two countries at a time when peace talks were at a delicate stage. Mr Bush telephoned Manmohan Singh, the Indian Prime Minister, to inform him of America’s decision. A spokesman said that Mr Singh expressed India’s disappointment at the decision. .... ––– Report, The Times, London

SOUTH ASIA

Dubious moves Prime Minister Manmohan Singh struck the right note in expressing his “great disappointment” at the decision by the United States to resume the sale of the F-16 combat aircraft to Pakistan. This measured response is rather different from the hyper-reaction verging on insecurity that signs of Washington’s ‘tilt’ towards Islamabad tended to set off in the past. It reflects a mature understanding that the superpower will not give undue weight to New Delhi’s concerns in its pursuit of its strategic interests. At the same time, an explicit criticism of the decision was very necessary..... Washington’s offer to build a ‘strategic partnership’ with India cannot balance out the decision to sell advanced aircraft to Pakistan. The arms sale is likely to take place in the near future while the partnership is a vague concept that India must be wary of. However, any fear that an arms race will be set off with Pakistan’s acquisition of the F-16s appears unwarranted..... ––– Editorial, The Hindu, Chennai Decision on F-16s Finally, after a delay of two decades, the U.S. has decided to sell the latest version of F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan. The number of aircraft to be supplied is subject to negotiations, but the State Department spokesman made it clear on March 25 that these would be new planes and not those manufactured for Pakistan in the 1980s. This is a welcome departure from past practice .... New Delhi has reacted negatively to the intended sale. It forgets that in all branches of the armed forces, it has a huge superiority over Pakistan. .... Besides, the U.S. has come up with a plan for a “decisively broader strategic relationship” with India to help it become a major world power. The F-16s will thus pose no threat to India but help Pakistan plug serious gaps in its air defense. .... It would be ideal if South Asia is made a nuclear-free zone .... But in an imperfect world in which the recognized nuclear powers have huge arsenals, it is difficult to see how Pakistan and India will be willing to give up their nuclear weapons unilaterally. ––– Editorial in Dawn, Karachi