[thechat] Solve This Political Triangle

[William Anderson]

Please note that in replying to this, I'm merely stating facts, not taking
sides.

---- Original Message ----
From: "Syed Zeeshan Haider" <szh at hotpop.com>
To: <thechat at lists.evolt.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2002 9:54 AM
Subject: Re: [thechat] Solve This Political Triangle

> Hi Ben,
> No Offence, but Pakistan has been a long-time buyer of USA weapons
> specially F-16's but USA has never given Pakistan that support of
> which Pakistan had a right. USA received money for 16 F-16's and
> refused to deliver the fighter planes.

Pakistan placed an order for 28 F-16s with Lockheed, and paid around US$650m
for them.  The delivery of the order was refused because it was blocked by
the US Congress in accordance with the Pressler Amendment to the Foreign
Assistance Act, which forbids the US from giving military aid to Pakistan
while it has nuclear weapons.  Around 1990, a year after the initial order
was placed, US intelligence reports were claiming that Pakistan was arming
its existing F-16s with nuclear weapons.  This was apparently partially
enough for Congress to create and invoke the Pressler Amendment (which
incidentally doesn't mention India or Israel).

Pakistan received around US$300m (NZ$470m) from New Zealand, who then
proceeded to take delivery of the 28 F16s originally built for use by
Pakistan, under a "lease-to-buy" agreement.

The remainder of the initial outlay by the Pak Government was returned by
the United States in the form of commodities.

Pakistan are now looking to the Chinese FC1 fighter aircraft, and continue
to take delivery of Chinese J7P fighters (a variant of the J7, itself a
MiG-21 clone).  They also still retain their existing F-16 fleet, some of
which can be seen here:

- http://yasirmirza.tripod.com/fighter/F16/

> A big part of money had already been deducted as Service
> Charges by USA officials.

Storage costs for the F-16s while they were held in Arizona.

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