disrupter
01-04-2008, 06:33 AM
Biden criticizes F-16 sale to Pakistan
WASHINGTON
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is pressing the Bush administration to scrap a nearly $500 million deal to supply Pakistan with 18 F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp.
The deal inked on Dec. 31 came only days after the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, complicating efforts by the United States to promote stability and democracy in the volatile nuclear-armed nation led by President Pervez Musharraf.
"The administration's decision is just plain wrong and should be reversed, immediately, until Pakistan returns clearly to the democratic path," said Biden, in a released statement late Wednesday.
The United States had staked hopes for Pakistan's stability on Bhutto-Musharraf reconciliation and had encouraged Bhutto's return from exile in October.
Washington has pumped nearly $10 billion in aid into Pakistan since Musharraf became a counterterrorism ally after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Reversing course, Musharraf sided with the United States in the drive to topple the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan and hunt down al-Qaida.
However, some in Congress have accused the Bush administration of lax oversight in its massive assistance post-9/11 to Pakistan. Lawmakers for the first time put restrictions on such aid even after Musharraf lifted emergency rule and pledged that the elections scheduled in January would be free and fair.
Biden on Wednesday raised the issue of how the planes would be paid for, suggesting any use of U.S. aid would make the sale illegal.
"This is the time we should be putting the pressure on the government and military to fully investigate the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and to hold free and fair elections not let them off the hook," said Biden.http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8TUGDMG0.htm
How many billions more are we going to be held hostage by the Musharraf Pakistan regime?
General Musharraf has his big fish hooked, namely the USA, & just keeps playing the nukes will fall into the hands of terrorists card again & again & again.
WASHINGTON
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is pressing the Bush administration to scrap a nearly $500 million deal to supply Pakistan with 18 F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp.
The deal inked on Dec. 31 came only days after the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, complicating efforts by the United States to promote stability and democracy in the volatile nuclear-armed nation led by President Pervez Musharraf.
"The administration's decision is just plain wrong and should be reversed, immediately, until Pakistan returns clearly to the democratic path," said Biden, in a released statement late Wednesday.
The United States had staked hopes for Pakistan's stability on Bhutto-Musharraf reconciliation and had encouraged Bhutto's return from exile in October.
Washington has pumped nearly $10 billion in aid into Pakistan since Musharraf became a counterterrorism ally after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Reversing course, Musharraf sided with the United States in the drive to topple the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan and hunt down al-Qaida.
However, some in Congress have accused the Bush administration of lax oversight in its massive assistance post-9/11 to Pakistan. Lawmakers for the first time put restrictions on such aid even after Musharraf lifted emergency rule and pledged that the elections scheduled in January would be free and fair.
Biden on Wednesday raised the issue of how the planes would be paid for, suggesting any use of U.S. aid would make the sale illegal.
"This is the time we should be putting the pressure on the government and military to fully investigate the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and to hold free and fair elections not let them off the hook," said Biden.http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8TUGDMG0.htm
How many billions more are we going to be held hostage by the Musharraf Pakistan regime?
General Musharraf has his big fish hooked, namely the USA, & just keeps playing the nukes will fall into the hands of terrorists card again & again & again.