http://specials.rediff.com/news/2005/apr/07kanch.htm
Not just about F-16s!
The clarification has come from none else than Condoleezza Rice during
her interaction with a group of editorial writers in American
newspapers at Washington, DC on Monday afternoon.
'All that's been asked for, so far, is a request for information on
can we supply, are we willing to bid. It's really even, are we willing
to bid on high-performance aircraft to India,' Ms Rice told Sarah
Penderson, a journalist with the Star-Telegram published from Fort
Worth, Texas, where Lockheed Martin Corp, which manufactures F-16
fighter jets, is located.
With F-16 sales dipping, workers at Lockheed Martin Corp are facing
layoff. The Bush administration's decision to supply F-16s to Pakistan
could save as many as 5,000 jobs.
Obviously, Ms Penderson was looking for some good news for her paper's
readers when she asked Ms Rice: 'Several thousands of my readers are
very interested when they hear talk about co-production of F-16s or of
fighter jets with India. Could you expand on that a little bit?'
Ms Rice: 'No. At this point, all we're talking about is tendering --
the Indians have asked for information about our high-performance
aircraft. What kinds of arrangements would be worked out for what
kinds of production, we're not there yet. So I would just say to your
readers all that's been asked for, so far, is a request for
information on can we supply, are we willing to bid. It's really even,
are we willing to bid on high-performance aircraft to India.'
Implicit in this comment is the assertion that the USA has not offered
F-16s or F-18s to India, but it is India that has sought product and
price details and these are being provided. Nothing more, nothing
less.
US tells India, drop dead
This is in sharp contrast to what has been claimed by some national
newspapers, on the basis of briefing of 'select journalists' by
unnamed sources in the State Department and a late night briefing in
New Delhi after President George Bush called up Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh on the evening of March 25 to convey his decision to
resume F-16 supplies to Pakistan.
It was claimed, as reported by the newspaper which declared to the
world on March 26 that 'US gives Pak F-16s, India gets F-16s plus
plus' 'The Bush administration has now taken a decision to permit its
companies to bid for the Indian Air Force contract on the acquisition
of 126 multi-role combat aircraft and give them licences for
manufacture and production in India.'
Compare that with what Ms Rice said on Monday: 'It's really even, are
we willing to bid on high-performance aircraft to India.'
Kanchan Gupta
--
Cheers,
Gabe Menezes.
London, England
