ISLAMABAD: India has failed
in its efforts to block the proposed US sale of a billion-dollar arms package to Pakistan, including TOW-2A Anti-Armour Guided Missiles and E-2C Hawkeye 2000 Airborne Early Warning System.
Indian Ambassador in Washington Ronen Sen, who is spearheading the campaign clandestinely
through Indian-Americans, has failed in his efforts as the new US Congress will be going for its inaugural session on Thursday next and the deadline for any formal move to halt the deal would be over within three days, ie next Sunday.
The Indian lobby has miserably failed in such an effort in July last year when the US Congress approved the multi-role high-tech fighter F-16 plans for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Diplomatic sources told The News here that the Indian lobby has so far failed in mustering support of US Congress members to bring a resolution of disapproval of the deal.
Under the rules, the proposed sales will go through Jan 7 unless the US Congress specifically disapproves them within 30 days of being notified by the Pentagon on Dec 7 last. The TOW-2A missiles, which according to the Pentagon would enable Pakistan to support US operations against terrorist activities along its borders, could reach $185 million. The E-2C HAWKEYE 2000 system for three P-3 aircraft could cost another $855 million.
A deal for $5.1 billion for F-16 planes went through last July with no more than a Congressional blow on the knuckles, Indian-Americans have mounted a campaign to inform the lawmakers under the pretext of the implication of the missile sale to Pakistan for the US national security interests.
Incited by the US-India friendship, a so-called voluntary effort of Indian-Americans, several US voters of Indian origin have sent emails to their elected representatives pointing out that such ââ¬Ëa serious decisionââ¬â¢ has been taken in a sort of legislative vacuum.
The notification was issued on Dec 7, less than two days before the outgoing 109th Congress ended its session in the early hours of Dec 9 and the 30-day notice period expires on Jan 6 just three days after the newly-elected 110th Congress takes office on Jan 3.
A known Indian intelligence gathering outfit ââ¬ËRAWââ¬â¢ agent Hari Iyer vowed that if it happens, it will take place without Congressional oversight into a sale of high tech and possible dual use military equipment, with serious national security implications. He has urged his area representatives to ask for a deferment of the sale so that ââ¬Ëyou can perform your constitutionally required dutyââ¬â¢.
Yet another RAW contact B K Vasan expressed apprehension that even if a small percentage of these weapons falls into the hands of the Taliban, it can wreak havoc against the American and NATO forces.
Manish Thakur who is also working for RAW came out with a strange fear that selling Pakistan missiles will send the ââ¬Ëworst messageââ¬â¢ at this time. For it will not only further encourage Pakistan to tolerate attacks from its territory on US troops, but it also runs the risk of proliferation of advanced technologies to our ââ¬Ëenemiesââ¬â¢.
Another Indian activist in the US Jaya Kamlani warned these US-supplied arms could be used against India, as was done in 1965 during President Lyndon Johnsonââ¬â¢s presidency.
The sources pointed out that the RAW activists apparently failed in the uphill task as the $5.1 billion F-16 deal for Pakistan emerged unscathed from the 30-day congressional review period last July under similar circumstances.
As the deadline for the Congress to block the deal notified by Pentagon ended then, the House of Representatives went into a month long recess without taking up resolutions by two Democratic lawmakers to block it. The issue never came up before the full Senate.
Just a week before the expiry of the deadline, the House committee on international relations upbraided the Bush administration for what it called a calculated move to diminish Congressional authority over the rushed sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, but made no move to block it.
Ranking Democrat Tom Lantos, who is set to take over as chairman of the panel in the new House and his retiring Republican predecessor Henry Hyde later introduced a bill requiring quarterly updates on possible upcoming arms sales and enforcing a 20-day consultation period before the State Department formally notifies Congress of a proposed sale.
At the hearing John Hillen, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-military Affairs, admitted that the administration had chosen to waive the 20-day pre-notification period without consulting with either Hyde or Lantos, but made no move to end what Democrat Brad Sherman called ââ¬Åthis charadeââ¬Â of consultations.
He affirmed that the Congress had no means to stop the deal unless both the House and Senate passed resolutions rejecting it before the 30-day review ran out and then override a Bush veto.