Pakistan, poverty and F-16 fighter jets

As much as I can, I follow some of the politics coming out of the South Asian Subcontinent.  I spent 1.5 years in India and The Husband hails from Mumbai.  So when I heard this outrageous news in my car today, I called The Husband at work to tell him that the Bush oligarchy has decided to "reward" Pakistan for its help in the fight against terrorism by selling the country two dozen F-16 fighter jets.  He already knew about it.  Word spreads fast among the cricket players in town.

What is Pakistan going to do with F-16 fighter jets?  Line them up on the Indian border?  Don't they have more serious problems we should be helping them out with rather than throwing dangerous war toys at their doorstep?  And if the Pakistanis are being so helpful in assisting the US fight terrorists, then why won't they let US interrogators question A.Q. Khan, the founding father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program?  A.Q. Khan has provided nuclear secrets to Iran, N. Korea and Libya.  He also has links to Al Qaida, but gee whiz, Pakistan won't let the US talk to him.

How can the Bush Administration justify selling nuclear capable jets to Pakistan, especially after pressuring the EU against selling military arms to China?

So while the Saudis are building madrassas* in Pakistan with money they've earned from our gluttonous oil consumption, we're selling the Pakistanis F-16 fighter jets.  Nice.

*Schools where children learn jihad and memorize the Koran.  That's it.  No math, science, language, music,... nothing.

Comments

[meianda]

America always takes 1 step forward and 2 steps backwards, its helping pakistans neighbour Afghanistan train its own army from scratch so that it can defend itself from it's interfearing neighbour pakistan which was one of the nations that supported the Taliban regime there that destroyed Afghanistan.
Now most of Taliban who escaped Afghanistan after the US invasion are coming back and attacking the new afghan army and Us troops and pakistan is not doing any thing.
by seeling pakistan F-16 fighter jets its causing more trouble for itself, what wilL america do if pakistan ues thes jets to attack Afghanistan in the future.
It tells Iran to stop its new clear weapons programe but is selling pakistan Fighter jets, pakistan is home to Islamic fundamintalists who will use American weapons against Americans.
In Afghanistan its helping the emerging democracy but is helping another dictator in pakistan like it did in Iraq.

[me]

The poor people of pakistan need food not fighter jets that America knows it wil use against India.

[Sid]

Meianda-

Yup. Musharif is just another dictator dressed in sheeps clothing. The funny thing is before the 2000 election a reporter asked Bush if he knew who the leader of Pakistan was and he didn't know. What a joke.

Me, if you want to remain anonymous on this site, that's fine. You can hide your e-mail address from spammers and myself by putting in a URL below your e-mail address. You can use the URL from this site or some other site that you like. But please continue to use your same name (me) so that readers can follow your train of thought.

Thanks.

[The Jupetor]

To whom it may concern

Hello "cricket players”,” anonymous"
Respectfully, you must be either pro Indian or Indian. As you see, you never have mentioned about India, Have you seen O Calcutta "KalKata".
The most poverty in this country, so called India, who have hobby to collect the weaponry toys on the life of the people, twist her color like lizard from communism to socialist to democrat, was and still friend of Russia, collected junk toys from Soviet Union with billions of billions of dollars and still owe money to Russia. Russia cannot get the money from India, because Russia cannot collect any thing, not a big power more. You like it or not, friendship between Pakistan & USA will be for ever regardless of the Govt. My prediction for you that at least further 20 years, situation/condition, will be continuously progressive, regard less of any turmoil. Long live the Friendship. /Amen

[Sid]

I don't see anyone on here, comments or otherwise cheering on India. The point of the post is that Bush shouldn't be sending F-16 Fighter Jets to Pakistan, but should be assisting the country in other ways when it comes to dealing with the roots of terrorism.

And now that Pakistan has F-16s, India will feel the need to keep up. It's the South Asian arms race, a sad commentary on humanity, and the US is fueling it and companies like Lockheed Martin walk away with billions in contracts because of it.

I'm sorry that you missed the point of this post.

[kinderpal]

I have visted pakistan twice in the first time i had went was in 1995 and 2006 august. I am turly amazed at the progress that pakistan has had with infrastructure i believe that Musharraf is the only pakistani president in a long time who has has actually done something for pakistan. Another thing i want to say everyone wants him to step down the only reason the U.S isnt sayin this is because they if he steps down they some radical is going to become president and then and only will you realize that president Musharraf wasnt that bad.