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Democrats threaten to block delivery of F-16 fighter jets: Legislation termed counter-productive
By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, March 8: Democratic lawmakers, who now control both chambers of the US Congress, have threatened to withhold the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, despite a strong warning from the Bush administration that such a move could hurt bilateral relations and the “war on terror”.
In the Senate, three Democrats — Senators John Kerry, Christopher Dodd and Joe Biden — put the threat in the form of a nonbinding resolution.
The resolution was “intended to put Congress on record as making clear that military assistance to Pakistan will be assessed in the context of efforts in cracking down on the Taliban and Al Qaeda.” It implied that follow-up legislation would be introduced if Pakistan does not heed that warning.
“We must never forget the importance of going after the terrorists before they strike,” Senator Kerry said.
The proposal by leading members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would not go as far as a measure approved by the House of Representatives, which proposes linking all US assistance to Pakistan to its performance in the “war on terror”.At the House hearing, meanwhile, Chairman Gary Ackerman described the F-16 deal as “not just a carrot” but a “whole carrot patch,” adding: “We should have strong expectations from Pakistan to do more in return.”
Mr Ackerman, a Democrat from New York, is the present Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans and now also heads the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This position gives him the power to frustrate Pakistan’s efforts to maintain its current partnership with the United States.
Mr Ackerman raised the issue of the F-16 sales to Pakistan — revived in March 2005 after almost 15 years — at a hearing on Wednesday on US policies towards South Asia. “Should the sale be terminated if Pakistan doesn’t do more to eliminate the safe haven that terrorists have found on their soil?” he asked US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher who appeared before the panel to explain Bush administration’s policies for the region.
Mr Boucher told the congressman that the F-16 sale was proceeding as scheduled and some of the work has already been concluded, “and we’re moving forward with the sale”.
“If we are giving somebody F-16s, or giving them whatever the ask might be, and we have a full expectation, that expectation is not being fulfilled,” the congressman responded.
Mr Boucher told him that conditioning assistance to Islamabad could be “counterproductive to the important goal of fostering more cooperation” with Pakistan against the Taliban, Al Qaeda and militancy.
“We do think it’s important for the United States and Pakistan to position themselves as partners in this effort. And we think that this provision would undercut that.”
But this did not satisfy Mr Ackerman who described Pakistan’s contribution to the “war on terror” as ‘little dribs and drabs’. “We just look the other way because they help us when they want to, or when they think they can, rather than us pushing them to cooperate to the max, aren’t we really letting them off the hook?” he asked.
“Congressman, I don’t think it’s a matter of letting anybody off the hook. We’re all on the hook — Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United States, Nato — to do this job effectively, we all understand,” said Mr Boucher.
When Mr Boucher referred to the recent arrest in Pakistan of a key Taliban leader Qari Obaidullah, Mr Ackerman dismissed this as Islamabad’s practice of arresting “some high-profile person that they could have most likely arrested last year or the year before.”
He then went back to the F-16 deal, saying, “It’s a bargain. We’re doing this for that. We’re not just giving them — we don’t give F-16s out all over the world for free.”
The deal involves the long-delayed sale of 18 new F-16 jet fighters, an option to buy 18 more, and refurbishing of 34 used aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force’s arsenal.The Bush administration opposed an even tougher move in the House that would condition US military aid to stronger anti-terror efforts.
Mr Boucher told the House subcommittee that the arms package should not be held out as a reward to Pakistan, which is fighting the Taliban militia for its own good, and that the United States and other nations benefit as a result.
The Bush administration objects to the House version of the legislation because it conditions sale of the aircraft to a certification by President Bush that Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts were sufficient, Mr Boucher said.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/03/09/top5.htm
By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, March 8: Democratic lawmakers, who now control both chambers of the US Congress, have threatened to withhold the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, despite a strong warning from the Bush administration that such a move could hurt bilateral relations and the “war on terror”.
In the Senate, three Democrats — Senators John Kerry, Christopher Dodd and Joe Biden — put the threat in the form of a nonbinding resolution.
The resolution was “intended to put Congress on record as making clear that military assistance to Pakistan will be assessed in the context of efforts in cracking down on the Taliban and Al Qaeda.” It implied that follow-up legislation would be introduced if Pakistan does not heed that warning.
“We must never forget the importance of going after the terrorists before they strike,” Senator Kerry said.
The proposal by leading members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would not go as far as a measure approved by the House of Representatives, which proposes linking all US assistance to Pakistan to its performance in the “war on terror”.At the House hearing, meanwhile, Chairman Gary Ackerman described the F-16 deal as “not just a carrot” but a “whole carrot patch,” adding: “We should have strong expectations from Pakistan to do more in return.”
Mr Ackerman, a Democrat from New York, is the present Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans and now also heads the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This position gives him the power to frustrate Pakistan’s efforts to maintain its current partnership with the United States.
Mr Ackerman raised the issue of the F-16 sales to Pakistan — revived in March 2005 after almost 15 years — at a hearing on Wednesday on US policies towards South Asia. “Should the sale be terminated if Pakistan doesn’t do more to eliminate the safe haven that terrorists have found on their soil?” he asked US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher who appeared before the panel to explain Bush administration’s policies for the region.
Mr Boucher told the congressman that the F-16 sale was proceeding as scheduled and some of the work has already been concluded, “and we’re moving forward with the sale”.
“If we are giving somebody F-16s, or giving them whatever the ask might be, and we have a full expectation, that expectation is not being fulfilled,” the congressman responded.
Mr Boucher told him that conditioning assistance to Islamabad could be “counterproductive to the important goal of fostering more cooperation” with Pakistan against the Taliban, Al Qaeda and militancy.
“We do think it’s important for the United States and Pakistan to position themselves as partners in this effort. And we think that this provision would undercut that.”
But this did not satisfy Mr Ackerman who described Pakistan’s contribution to the “war on terror” as ‘little dribs and drabs’. “We just look the other way because they help us when they want to, or when they think they can, rather than us pushing them to cooperate to the max, aren’t we really letting them off the hook?” he asked.
“Congressman, I don’t think it’s a matter of letting anybody off the hook. We’re all on the hook — Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United States, Nato — to do this job effectively, we all understand,” said Mr Boucher.
When Mr Boucher referred to the recent arrest in Pakistan of a key Taliban leader Qari Obaidullah, Mr Ackerman dismissed this as Islamabad’s practice of arresting “some high-profile person that they could have most likely arrested last year or the year before.”
He then went back to the F-16 deal, saying, “It’s a bargain. We’re doing this for that. We’re not just giving them — we don’t give F-16s out all over the world for free.”
The deal involves the long-delayed sale of 18 new F-16 jet fighters, an option to buy 18 more, and refurbishing of 34 used aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force’s arsenal.The Bush administration opposed an even tougher move in the House that would condition US military aid to stronger anti-terror efforts.
Mr Boucher told the House subcommittee that the arms package should not be held out as a reward to Pakistan, which is fighting the Taliban militia for its own good, and that the United States and other nations benefit as a result.
The Bush administration objects to the House version of the legislation because it conditions sale of the aircraft to a certification by President Bush that Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts were sufficient, Mr Boucher said.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/03/09/top5.htm
