Why does Pakistan need F-16 S to fight Taliban?

[InfiniteThoughts]

Pranab Mukherjee is not given to sudden public outbursts on foreign policy matters. But just over five years ago, he angrily tore apart the American argument that the weapons it was supplying to Pakistan were meant to fight the al-Qaida and Taliban. “Nobody uses F-16 fighter planes and other weapons meant for big wars to fight terrorists,” Mukherjee, then defence minister, thundered. Uncharacteristic though the outburst was, it conveyed India’s grave concerns on the matter.

Little, however, has changed since then. Pakistan continues to get sophisticated weapon systems, missiles, sensors and related equipment from the US, the majority of which are clearly meant more for waging conventional wars rather than combating militants.

I have one more article to highlight to you: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Politics/Nation/4-yrs-after-Pan-Am-hijack-Neerja-Bhanot-killer-falls-to-drone/articleshow/5454682.cms#

Half of India's population today wasn't born when she died in 1986 in a hail of gunfire on a hijacked plane after courageously saving scores of passengers, a feat for which she was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra in India, Tamgha-e-Insaniyat in Pakistan and the Justice for Crimes Award in the US. Earlier this week, some 24 years after her heroism, one of her killers died a dog's death in the badlands of Pakistan, reportedly shot to pieces in a US drone attack.

Neerja died shielding three children from gunfire as a bloody massacre erupted on the plane. The hijackers, who were said to be from the Abu Nidal Organisation, were eventually captured, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death in 1988. But in a Pakistan that became increasingly permissive about terrorism, the sentences were later commuted to life in prison. In 2001, Zayd Hassan Abd Al-Latif Masud Al Safarini, the hijacker who shot Rajesh Kumar among others, was captured by the FBI in Bangkok after he was released in Pakistan and was on his way back to Jordan. He was taken to the US where he was sentenced to a 160-year prison term he is now serving in Colorado. Four others who were in Pakistan's Adiala jail were freed in January 2008 even as the US fumed about Islamabad's action. The FBI announced a $5 million bounty on their head, pretty much ensuring their days are numbered.

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So let me understand, Pakistan is unable to bring justice to terrorists while they gleefully accept billions of dollars of US military aid. It is a shame that US doesn't recognize and take action against the source of global terrorism - Pakistan, it's military and intelligence leadership

[thunder rising]

1. Excuse me, but, I give a shit that India is upset. If you wanted to argue from an American POV

then I'd be willing to offer support.

[johnroshan]

2. wow.

Apathy toward security issues of the world's largest democracy caused due to American actions. Not quite progressive I'd say. You do understand that America's actions is like Russia supplying hi tech arms to Cuba or Iran. IMO, America is so hellbent on trying to get Pakistan to weed out extremist groups that it sometimes tends to ignore the problems it creates. Military shortsightedness is a perpetual problem with Superpowers. India's tight military relations with Russia is not helping its cause either.

John.

[PacerLJ35]

7. India is balancing its military relationships...

and doing more with the United States than it ever did in the past, including joint exercises. The Indians have also bought C-17 and C-130J aircraft recently. We are currently training their aircrew.

[hendo]

5. indirect effects

ever heard of them?

[bluedoggie]

3. Did President Obama support the aid?

Then shut up and support the President and his program for victory in AfPak.

[hendo]

4. what?

this is insane. Since its continuing to happen, hell yes he supported it. Blind obedience to Obama on issues like this isn't going to help the party. We have an obligation to criticize insanity regardless of which party it comes from. Are you goign to pull the BS that was so popular under Bush that its unpatriotic to criticize a president during a time of war?

[johnroshan]

6. Sometimes, I've noticed this in DU.

Irrational support for a particular party or a person, even though their actions run contrary to our interests. All that matters in the end is the actions they take, not the rhetoric they spout, or what they "support" in words.

Selling F-16s to Pakistan is just another business deal to US. However, its creating an arms race in south Asia. The defense industries of US are the only benefactors in this game. When a full blown war erupts, they will still benefit from selling arms to both sides of the conflict.

[Kaleva]

8. China and Russia are also very much involved.

"The defense industries of US are the only benefactors in this game."

Much of the Indian Navy are ships either bought from Russia or based on Russian designs. Pakistan buys a considerable amount of military hardware from China.