US fuelling Indo-Pak arms race: NY Times By Harish Dugh , The Indian Express | April 7, 2005 http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=44099 Just when the sub-continent was toning down its war rhetoric and the general across the border was making dove-like noises, albeit from a hawk-like stance, the United States has stepped in and shot down the peace overtures mid-tune. After US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told India its decision to sell F-16s to Pakistan (similar offer was made to India in addition to offering F-18 Hornets and the option to manufacture them) legions of American statesmen have gone to town saying this won't alter the military balance here, nor will it fuel an arms race. They even went on to say that all those who are looking at the gift horse's mouth are seeing devious US intent where there is none. In its editorial The New York Times said, "The worst thing for these two nuclear powers (India, Pak), which have fought three wars against each other since 1947, is to encourage them to engage in a new, American-fueled arms race." The truth as reflected by reality indicates that the US has cranked up its propaganda machinery into overdrive to play down fears of escalation of another arms race here for its own selfish reasons stemming from trade and strategic reasons. Till Rice decided to offer the weaponry in March 2005 India and Pakistan were amicably sitting on the fence (if that is possible here) with nary a F-16 in the delivery pipeline. The US had promised to sell these jets to Pakistan but for 15 years there was a self- imposed ban (due to Pak's nuclear proliferation shenanigans) on delivery of planes for which Pak had already made the payment. Pakistan has more or less got its planes. India can't ignore spanking new fighter jets, capable of delivering nuclear killer punch, on its border. It will have to buy a jet with similar capabilities in the near future � strategic parity will demand that India buy, if not F-16s then at least French Mirages. Since the planes cost millions of dollars each, this will mean crucial resources will be diverted from sectors like education, economy, social services to the arms bazar. Indian economy and the common Indian will be hit � hard. So will the Pakistani common man, but across the border the generals have shown over 50 years that they are willing to sacrifice their citizens at the cost of playing soldier with the state-of-the-art weapons. "Decades of swollen military budgets have virtually bankrupted Pakistan, leaving its government unable to afford adequate spending on education and job-creating economic modernization," says NYT in the same piece. India is more or less being arm-twisted into something that it did not want. Indian economy had barely begun flying and here is Uncle Sam trying to clip its wing in mid-flight. Lastly, as NYT sums up, instead of slamming Pak for its nuclear non- proliferation violations, US is actually rewarding the country under the guise of helping an ally who is aiding in the fight against al- Qaeda in Afghanistan. In effect, the US has more or less opened another war-like front on which India will have to sacrifice enormous amounts of men and material to keep its security and sovereignty intact. The intention clearly is to force India into the trenches at a time when it was eyeing its rightful global position in the pantheon of nations. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> In low income neighborhoods, 84% do not own computers. At Network for Good, help bridge the Digital Divide! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EA3HyD/3MnJAA/79vVAA/NJYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> �������������������������������������������������������� This is ZESTEconomics. Post economics-related articles and event info to [email protected] If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTEconomics by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTEconomics/join ==theZESTcommunity====================================== [1] ZESTCurrent: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCurrent/ [2] ZESTEconomics: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTEconomics/ [3] ZESTGlobal: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/ [4] ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/ [5] ZESTPoets: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/ [6] ZESTCaste: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ [7] ZESTAlternative: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTAlternative/ [8] TalkZEST: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TalkZEST/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTEconomics/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
