-Caveat Lector- http://www.unitedstates.com/news/farticle/698993?20011218183824
.S. warns new NATO members on jets WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The State Department scolded Hungary and the Czech Republic, the two most recent members of NATO, for signaling their intention to buy supersonic jetfighters from a Swedish and British consortium and not the United States. "As the Czech Republic and Hungary determine their future military requirements, we urge them to avoid major defense procurements that could jeopardize other urgently needed military reforms," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Tuesday. "The secretary has raised these issues about the cost, the spending, the implication for other programs. But in the end, he has always said if you're going to buy airplanes, you ought to buy American ones." President Clinton personally pushed the North Atlantic alliance to take on Hungary and the Czech Republic in the last round of NATO expansion, a fact that many in the U.S. government and aerospace industry believe commanded the loyalty of their checkbooks. But in the end, the Swedish and British consortium BAE Systems/Saab appear to have won the contract. Lockheed Martin had hoped to sell their F-16s to the Czech and Hungarian air force, playing the NATO card. Hungary is now likely to lease 14 JAS-39 fighters and the Czechs are expected to purchase 24 of the same model. Now U.S. diplomats are pressing the Poles who are considering a deal to lease the planes by August. Boucher said Powell raised the issue Monday with Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzmierz Cimoszewicz in Washington. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
