No deal with Pak on F-16 sale: Rice
Onkar Singh in New Delhi | March 16, 2005 12:46 IST Last Updated: March 16, 2005 13:28 IST
India on Wednesday conveyed its concern to the United States over its reported move to sell F-16 warplanes to Pakistan.
The issue figured during the wide-ranging talks visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had with External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday morning.
Singh said he conveyed to Dr Rice that any such sale might create 'some complications'.
Addressing a joint press conference, Dr Rice sought to allay New Delhi's apprehensions, saying there has been no such agreement with Islamabad and 'I don't expect any such announcement' during the course of her visit to South Asia, including Pakistan.
Dr Rice said US President George W Bush hoped to visit India later this year.
Maintaining a studied silence on India's claim for a permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, she, however, said the US was talking to countries around the world on restructuring the world body and other issues related to it.
Dr Rice said restructuring the UN was a complex issue. "We are at the beginning of United Nations reforms," she noted.
The issue of India's claim for a permanent membership did come up during the discussions with Singh and the two agreed to stay in touch, the American Secretary of State said.
Dr Rice expressed her government's concern on the India-Iran gas pipeline. She said US Ambassador to India David Mulford had already conveyed US reservations to the Indian government.
Singh said India would continue to have cordial relations with Iran despite American reservations. The petroleum ministry was in touch with Iranian officials and holding talks with them on the pipeline, he added.
Both Dr Rice and Singh said there was a greater need to find new resources of energy and also for a close cooperation in defence and other areas.
Dr Rice paid rich tributes to the rise of India as a major economic power. She recalled how in December last year Indian ships helped tsunami victims not only in the country but in other nations as well.
The two leaders are likely to continue discussions during lunch.
Earlier, the US secretary of state called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The two discussed 'various important issues' during the half-an-hour meeting, Dr Rice said.
Additional reportage: PTI
http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/mar/16rice2.htm
I was pretty shocked at the move by the US to arm Pakistan.. about like I felt when we gave that 20 mil to the Palestinians.. we can't play both sides..
Interesting read in yesterday's Wall Street Journal about this very subject. Their take was India wasn't as disappointed as portrayed since, in fact, India has been approved to buy the latest, more up to date fighter, the FA18. And in more quantity. Is this incorrect?
"Let's order a second hot dog!"
I thought Indians were vegans - however - a very interesting and provocative post. You raise some serious issues...
Maybe we want India to supply Taiwan with nuclear weapons so China will point the finger at them, not us, if a glowing shooting match develops over the Strait.
This path was not taken. The current policy, to make Pakistan an "ally", has much lower entry costs, which is likely why it was chosen.
However, the cost of maintaining the fiction that Pakistan is "friendly" rises sharply in later years, as our enemies there learn to game the system, which is what we see here.
So what has India done for the U.S. ever?
The Indians have sucked up to Russia and or China for decades going any way possible but towards the U.S.
Pakistan while being a very unstable place neverthe less is a U.S. ally. Has helped in the war on terror.
We have been trying to make it easier for Pakistan to stick to the war on terror.
"...simple solution for india: proliferate nuke and missile technology to anybody who wants it, especially taiwan and japan. this will immediately get american respect, much as pokhran-ii did."
If Indian had big enough cajones give nukes to Taiwan and Japan then I'd probably consider asking for Indian citizenship. ;-) It seems that U.S. is very effective in getting responsible states to back down from acquiring nukes but doesn't have a very good track record with rogue states.
I can only hope and pray that Israel and India get their act together and clean house in Pakistan, and then carpet bomb the entire mid-east.
Refile under "Editorial"
If there is one nation that despises America (and the west in general) it is Pakistan.
Where I live there is a reasonably large Pakistani population, and after 9/11 they were extremely happy. One Pakistani shop-owner was so happy he decided to put a portrait of Osama Bin Laden in his shop window.
Needless to say within a few days he had no shop windows left.
Is there not hypocrisy here in giving the semi-failed nuclear state that is Pakistan better weaponry, yet whining that the EU is giving arms to China?
I find it hard to disagree with this. Sending F-16's to Pakistan in 1985 fine. Sending f-16's to Pakistan 2005...DEAD wrong and despicable.
Yea...thats what America said to India *rolling eyes*
Translation of article: The US wants more help from Pakistan in the hunt for bin Ladin on its Afghan border.
I guess their skipping the whole national infrastructure thing what with indoor plumbing, diesel powered trains, a road system, and jumping straight to the high tech weapons and gadgets?
I'm really getting tired of the "ancient civilizations" downing the US because we've only been around a couple hundred years. You'd think that these long time countries would have progressed beyond caste systems, rickshaw draggin', and eating bugs.
Lets see if I've got this right - we put men on the moon almost 40 years ago, and these jacka$$es are just now getting a squadron of supersonic fighters together?
The only reason every man woman and child in the US has not progressed beyond what we have is because we're being held back by these turd worlder's.
India has to be able to take this in the stride if it wants to be a great power.