US turns focus to Pakistan’s conventional defence

Dawn.com ^ | 5/02/2010 | Anwar Iqbal

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The United States appears to have realised the importance of strengthening Pakistan’s conventional defence while also enhancing its capability to fight extremists.

In doing so, senior US officials also recognised Pakistan’s concerns about India and conceded that Washington’s growing ties with New Delhi were a cause of concern for Islamabad.

“We must continue to reassure Pakistan that as it combats the terrorist threat, it is not exposing itself to increased risk along its eastern border,” said Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Michele Flournoy while explaining why the United States needed to strengthen Islamabad’s conventional defence systems as well.

“Although extremist attacks have led to the repositioning of substantial Pakistani forces, Pakistan’s strategic concerns about India remain pre-eminent.”

Under Secretary Flournoy and other senior US officials who spoke to the House Armed Services Committee urged lawmakers to provide funding for billions of dollars of planned US military and civilian aid to Pakistan during the next five years.

Separately, another senior Pentagon official told journalists in Washington that the sale of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan later this year would be “a sign of this burgeoning relationship between us and increased defence cooperation between our two countries.”

In a related development, senior US State and Defence officials said the United States planned to provide $1.5 billion to Pakistan by September 2011 for buying military equipment.

During the same period, the United States also plans to reimburse about $2.3 billion Pakistan spent while fighting terrorists along the Afghan border. Of these, $600 million will be quickly transferred to Pakistan while the rest will be reimbursed by September 2011, when the current US fiscal year ends.

Besides providing military equipment, the United States also has accepted Pakistan’s position that it has genuine interests in Afghanistan and those interests need to be protected.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

“Although extremist attacks have led to the repositioning of substantial Pakistani forces, Pakistan’s strategic concerns about India remain pre-eminent.”

Uh huh. Even as Pakistan gets chewed up from the inside out by the Taliban it created, and Pakistan-backed Islamic terrorists attack India and murder hundreds in Mumbai, the big regional problem is Pakistan's concern about an Indian attack.

There's a fundamental disconnect from reality in Pakistan's view of the world, and our government is enabling it with hundreds of millions in our tax dollars.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I agree. I have always said that we should drop Pakistan as an ally and court India as a strategic partner.

[ARepublicanForAllReasons]

US citizens were killed in the Mumbai attacks.

US policy seems to be "Kill Americans, get military aid."

An American Catholic priest was murdered in Venezuela. Maybe we should make Hugo an ally and give him military aid also.

Meanwhile, 0bamo says 'no' to a missile shield for Eastern Europe.

[ketelone]

Hussein probably approves of the Mumbai terror attacks. After all, they attacked a Chabad center, and we all know what Hussein Osama thinks of (sshhhhh) The JOOZ!

[swarthyguy]

Obama sold the Pakistanis 5000 TOW missiles.

India’s tanks have been rendered useless.

The plains of Punjab and the Thar Desert will now be a killing ground for Indian tanks.

Advantage, Pakistan.