US may give Pakistan F-16s, helicopters

The Times of India ^ | March 27 2004 | PTI

[knighthawk]

WASHINGTON : With Pakistan troops locked in battle with suspected al-Qaeda militants in its northwestern frontier region, US is mulling over supplying more helicopters and possibly even F-16 fighter aircraft to Islamabad .

"With respect to Pakistan , we are working on the helicopter issue. They need more helicopter capacity in that part of the tribal areas," Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Thursday.

Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary, Powell said the US had already supplied to Pakistan night-vision goggles to fight Al-Qaida operatives along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

"This night vision goggles, it is done," Powell told Senator Ernest Hollings, a member of the subcommittee. To a question on the supply of "Mirages" (presumably meaning American F-16s and not French Mirages) Powell said "well, they hadn't signed the (requisite papers)... they have now...we're working on it. Yeah."

Powell said that Pakistani forces had engaged al-Qaeda fighters in its border areas and apprehended more than 500 terrorists.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[metoooo]

india surely will not like this supply of helicopters and f-16s to pakistan...is this another give away of us taxpayers money...

[joesnuffy]

Yep everytime we arm Muslims...we end up with great friends about ten years later...

[chachacha]

US had already supplied to Pakistan night-vision goggles to fight Al-Qaida operatives along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

Now for sale to the highest bidder.

[New Horizon]

US is mulling over supplying more helicopters and possibly even F-16 fighter aircraft to Islamabad.

Istead of "giving" Pakistan weapons (which will most likely be used against us in the future), why can't we simply "loan" them the weapons until they get the job done?

[decimon]

"Supply" does not equal "give." Are you sure these arms aren't for sale?

[mrsmith]

I assume Richard Clarke thinks we should instead take the urgent action Clinton did to help Pakistan against terrorists.

Send Hillary and Chelsea for a visit to talk about "women's issues".

[Rokke]

Pakistan already has F-16's (and has had them for years). The F-16's they bought years ago but never recieved are no longer available. Anything we "give" them now isn't that useful to us anyway, but will greatly aid their effort. Having said that, we could give them a squadron of F-22's and it wouldn't hurt us much. Like India, their third world culture is not conducive to an effective air force, no matter what they are flying.