Pakistan: F16's protect US jobs and congressmen

The Peninsula/Reuters

The Bush administration has pushed to conclude a landmark $5bn sale of F-16 jets to Pakistan before completing traditional consultations with the US Congress and fully answering security concerns, a congressman and other congressional sources say.

The move is being seen by some lawmakers as the latest example of the administration's distaste for consulting Congress on security issues and they said the relevant committees would probe the deal further in the coming weeks.

Among Congress' concerns about the deal are how Pakistan intends to ensure that its long-time defence ally China will not have access to advanced US technology and whether there has been any diversion of such technology already in Pakistani hands, several sources said in recent interviews.

"I have deep concerns about the process or the lack thereof, which the Bush Administration used to inform Congress about the pending sale of F-16s to Pakistan," said Democratic Rep Joseph Crowley of New York, a member of the House International Relations Committee and a leading congressional supporter of Pakistan's rival, India.

"The aministration has shown time and time again that they are not interested in congressional oversight on sensitive deals," he said.

... Several sources, who spoke anonymously because of the issue's sensitivity, said it was unlikely Congress would block the deal, which supporters say would keep open Lockheed's F-16 production line employing 5,000 people and which may close in 2008. Read more