The Bush administration agreed today to sell Pakistan F-16 fighter planes in a major policy shift that was meant to reward Pakistan for its help in combating terrorism but was also certain to deeply antagonize Pakistan’s longtime adversary India.

President Bush telephoned Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from his ranch in Crawford, Tex., and “explained his decision to move forward” on the sale, a White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, told reporters in Texas. Mr. Singh expressed “great disappointment,” a spokesman in New Delhi told Reuters.

Pakistan’s information minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, called President Bush’s decision “a good gesture,” one that shows that “our relations are growing stronger,” Reuters reported.

There were conflicting reports on how many F-16’s might be involved in the sale, which would require Congressional approval. One Bush administration official said the number was 24, but another said it was still indefinite, Reuters reported. A State Department spokesman, J. Adam Ereli, said that both the number of planes and the terms of the sale had not been determined. Teal Group, an aerospace consulting firm in Fairfax, Va., said the planes could cost $35 million each, Bloomberg News reported.
Full Article: nytimes.com

Why does Chavez need the AK’s? Maybe because the U.S. sells hardware to Guatemala and Pakistan. Such hypocrisy.

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