F-16s In the News

While not Navy related, interesting news regarding sales of F-16s. First, Pakistan.

Howard Berman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, asked the Bush administration in late July not to shift $226.5 million in federal anti-terrorism aid to the Pakistani military, saying they feared the plan would impede efforts to stop terrorism and that they needed more time to study it.

"We are concerned that the administration's proposal to use military assistance to pay for the F-16 upgrades will divert funds from more productive counter-terrorism tools like helicopters, [tube-launched, anti-tank] missiles and night-vision goggles," Ber­man and Lowey said in a joint statement issued July 29. "We have requested a hold on the administration's planned reprogramming pending additional information. The hold ... will provide time for Congress to make a more considered judgement in consultation with the administration and the government of Pakistan."

Then Iraq.

The Iraqi government is seeking to buy 36 advanced F-16 fighters from the U.S., say American military officials familiar with the request, a move that could help reduce its reliance on U.S. air power and potentially allow more American forces to withdraw from the country than had been proposed.

Hard to find anything wrong with either issue. As far as I'm concerned, I want to see all that surplus money in Iraq being pumped into the US economy. If it's for military equipment that allows the Iraqi's take over for our troops and lets them come home, all the better.

As for Pakistan, Saturday is the election, but I doubt we will see much change in the policy Pakistan takes towards the tribes in the north anytime soon. Is there any evidence these are for supporting operations against the Taliban, or are these aircraft to be used along the border with India. In other words, good for Congress, ask questions.

We may sell the F-16s to Pakistan anyway, but nothing wrong with asking a whole bunch of questions first.