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Snub to India: US Congress clears Pakistan’s F-16 package

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  • Way cleared for Pakistan's military package.
  • State Dept notified Congress about F-16 programme last month.
  • India "protested" over proposed sale of F-16 parts to Pakistan.
WASHINGTON: Ignoring Indian objections to Pakistan’s F-16 package, the US Congress cleared a proposed foreign military sale valued at $450 million for maintenance and sustainment services of the aircraft, Geo News reported Wednesday.

According to the report, Congress didn’t raise any objection to the proposed sale thus clearing the way for the US package for Pakistan which was approved last month by the Biden administration. As per the rules, clearance was required from the US House of Representatives for the programme to proceed.

The F-16 package made headlines after Indian criticism of the deal, triggering a strong response from Islamabad which urged New Delhi to refrain from commenting on Pakistan-US ties.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also defended the military sale, saying the package was for the maintenance of Pakistan’s existing fleet.

“These are not new planes, new systems, new weapons. It’s sustaining what they have,” the US state secretary told a news conference with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

“Pakistan’s programme bolsters its capability to deal with terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan or from the region. It’s in no one’s interests that those threats be able to go forward with impunity, and so this capability that Pakistan has had can benefit all of us in dealing with terrorism,” Blinken said.

He added that the US had a “responsibility and an obligation to whomever we provide military equipment to make sure that it’s maintained and sustained. That’s our obligation”.

When asked to elaborate on the terrorism threats and the need for F-16s to counter them, Blinken said: “There are clear terrorism threats that continue to emanate from Pakistan itself as well as from neighbouring countries.

“And whether it is TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) that may be targeting Pakistan, whether it’s Daesh, whether it’s Al-Qaeda, I think the threats are clear, well-known, and we all have an interest in making sure that we have the means to deal with them. And that’s what this is about.”
 
It sounds like the US is about to give Pakistan clearance to strike in Afghanistan. They can't say it upfront as that may contravene their deal with IEA, but the implication is clear.

@SQ8 @Falcon26 @Yasser76

“And whether it is TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) that may be targeting Pakistan, whether it’s Daesh, whether it’s Al-Qaeda, I think the threats are clear, well-known, and we all have an interest in making sure that we have the means to deal with them. And that’s what this is about.”
 
View attachment 887748
  • Way cleared for Pakistan's military package.
  • State Dept notified Congress about F-16 programme last month.
  • India "protested" over proposed sale of F-16 parts to Pakistan.
WASHINGTON: Ignoring Indian objections to Pakistan’s F-16 package, the US Congress cleared a proposed foreign military sale valued at $450 million for maintenance and sustainment services of the aircraft, Geo News reported Wednesday.

According to the report, Congress didn’t raise any objection to the proposed sale thus clearing the way for the US package for Pakistan which was approved last month by the Biden administration. As per the rules, clearance was required from the US House of Representatives for the programme to proceed.

The F-16 package made headlines after Indian criticism of the deal, triggering a strong response from Islamabad which urged New Delhi to refrain from commenting on Pakistan-US ties.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also defended the military sale, saying the package was for the maintenance of Pakistan’s existing fleet.

“These are not new planes, new systems, new weapons. It’s sustaining what they have,” the US state secretary told a news conference with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

“Pakistan’s programme bolsters its capability to deal with terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan or from the region. It’s in no one’s interests that those threats be able to go forward with impunity, and so this capability that Pakistan has had can benefit all of us in dealing with terrorism,” Blinken said.

He added that the US had a “responsibility and an obligation to whomever we provide military equipment to make sure that it’s maintained and sustained. That’s our obligation”.

When asked to elaborate on the terrorism threats and the need for F-16s to counter them, Blinken said: “There are clear terrorism threats that continue to emanate from Pakistan itself as well as from neighbouring countries.

“And whether it is TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) that may be targeting Pakistan, whether it’s Daesh, whether it’s Al-Qaeda, I think the threats are clear, well-known, and we all have an interest in making sure that we have the means to deal with them. And that’s what this is about.”
India is not America.
 
It sounds like the US is about to give Pakistan clearance to strike in Afghanistan. They can't say it upfront as that may contravene their deal with IEA, but the implication is clear.

@SQ8 @Falcon26 @Yasser76

“And whether it is TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) that may be targeting Pakistan, whether it’s Daesh, whether it’s Al-Qaeda, I think the threats are clear, well-known, and we all have an interest in making sure that we have the means to deal with them. And that’s what this is about.”

Well - it is about time that Pakistan comes to the realisation that the Afghan people are inherently beyond "lost" - fighting and killing is all they will ever understand as a people - and also measuring the length of each other beards to see who is more "pious".... and Pakistan need's to bring a dhanda to the equation. The narrative that once the Taliban get there, that terrorism will go down is lost narrative - they have not been responsive to Pakistan's concerns at all.. esp with the rise of the new terrorist outfits finding a home in Afghanistan that is now affecting Swat.

Send all Afghan refugees back ASAP and bomb the crap out of any terrorist locations in Afghanistan when they apprear .. and make no apologies for it.
 
It sounds like the US is about to give Pakistan clearance to strike in Afghanistan.
Well, it'll require a lil' more than a Maintenance package to strike Afghanistan.

Regardless who is in Power (in Pakistan), best play their cards right and extract everything on their wishlist from the US.
 
Well - it is about time that Pakistan comes to the realisation that the Afghan people are inherently beyond "lost" - fighting and killing is all they will ever understand as a people - and also measuring the length of each other beards to see who is more "pious".... and Pakistan need's to bring a dhanda to the equation. The narrative that once the Taliban get there, that terrorism will go down is lost narrative - they have not been responsive to Pakistan's concerns at all.. esp with the rise of the new terrorist outfits finding a home in Afghanistan that is now affecting Swat.

Send all Afghan refugees back ASAP and bomb the crap out of any terrorist locations in Afghanistan when they apprear .. and make no apologies for it.
IMO, the situation could play out like this:

1. Da'esh will one day attack the IEA.
2. ISI will pressure the IEA to now call on "brotherly support"
3. Pakistan will go into Afghanistan with (1) IEA approval and (2) a sense that they're supporting a brotherly cause.

This would totally isolate the TTP and Da'esh from both the IEA and the public. Pakistan will justify speaking to the IEA on the grounds that it doesn't want to engineer regime change in Afghanistan. This is specifically an issue of tackling Da'esh and TTP. In turn, the U.S. will say that Pakistan's communications with the IEA only go up to security, but Pakistan is not interested in meddling in Afghanistan's politics.
 
IMO, the situation could play out like this:

1. Da'esh will one day attack the IEA.
2. ISI will pressure the IEA to now call on "brotherly support"
3. Pakistan will go into Afghanistan with (1) IEA approval and (2) a sense that they're supporting a brotherly cause.

This would totally isolate the TTP and Da'esh from both the IEA and the public. Pakistan will justify speaking to the IEA on the grounds that it doesn't want to engineer regime change in Afghanistan. This is specifically an issue of tackling Da'esh and TTP. In turn, the U.S. will say that Pakistan's communications with the IEA only go up to security, but Pakistan is not interested in meddling in Afghanistan's politics.

Ultimately it all comes down to will power. With our current leadership both mil and civ, both present and in near future, i dont see any open actions in afg.
 
Ultimately it all comes down to will power. With our current leadership both mil and civ, both present and in near future, i dont see any open actions in afg.
Forget in Afghanistan, I don't see any beneficial self-serving actions being taken even within Pakistan.

It requires a cultural revolution and pure meritocracy if it intends to survive, otherwise it's days are limited.
 
IMO, the situation could play out like this:

1. Da'esh will one day attack the IEA.
2. ISI will pressure the IEA to now call on "brotherly support"
3. Pakistan will go into Afghanistan with (1) IEA approval and (2) a sense that they're supporting a brotherly cause.

This would totally isolate the TTP and Da'esh from both the IEA and the public. Pakistan will justify speaking to the IEA on the grounds that it doesn't want to engineer regime change in Afghanistan. This is specifically an issue of tackling Da'esh and TTP. In turn, the U.S. will say that Pakistan's communications with the IEA only go up to security, but Pakistan is not interested in meddling in Afghanistan's politics.
Will not be that easy -
The TTP is to the IEA from the same tribal links albeit with some criminal elements(smugglers, target killers) it took from Pakistani society.

They wont be let go - Daesh gets its recruits from some of the same pool and others running from Iraq.

The IEA risks further loss of agency with its own people in its nascent stage if it agrees to be seen cooperating with Pakistan in attacking what are technically either former colleagues or acquaintances
 
I think it's a reply to the the Indian purchase of S 400 and it's their own need as well to avoid f 16s falling out of sky.
They don't trust Pakistan with regards to ops inside afganland.
It sounds like the US is about to give Pakistan clearance to strike in Afghanistan. They can't say it upfront as that may contravene their deal with IEA, but the implication is clear.

@SQ8 @Falcon26 @Yasser76

“And whether it is TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) that may be targeting Pakistan, whether it’s Daesh, whether it’s Al-Qaeda, I think the threats are clear, well-known, and we all have an interest in making sure that we have the means to deal with them. And that’s what this is about.”
 
View attachment 887748
  • Way cleared for Pakistan's military package.
  • State Dept notified Congress about F-16 programme last month.
  • India "protested" over proposed sale of F-16 parts to Pakistan.
WASHINGTON: Ignoring Indian objections to Pakistan’s F-16 package, the US Congress cleared a proposed foreign military sale valued at $450 million for maintenance and sustainment services of the aircraft, Geo News reported Wednesday.

According to the report, Congress didn’t raise any objection to the proposed sale thus clearing the way for the US package for Pakistan which was approved last month by the Biden administration. As per the rules, clearance was required from the US House of Representatives for the programme to proceed.

The F-16 package made headlines after Indian criticism of the deal, triggering a strong response from Islamabad which urged New Delhi to refrain from commenting on Pakistan-US ties.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also defended the military sale, saying the package was for the maintenance of Pakistan’s existing fleet.

“These are not new planes, new systems, new weapons. It’s sustaining what they have,” the US state secretary told a news conference with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

“Pakistan’s programme bolsters its capability to deal with terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan or from the region. It’s in no one’s interests that those threats be able to go forward with impunity, and so this capability that Pakistan has had can benefit all of us in dealing with terrorism,” Blinken said.

He added that the US had a “responsibility and an obligation to whomever we provide military equipment to make sure that it’s maintained and sustained. That’s our obligation”.

When asked to elaborate on the terrorism threats and the need for F-16s to counter them, Blinken said: “There are clear terrorism threats that continue to emanate from Pakistan itself as well as from neighbouring countries.

“And whether it is TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) that may be targeting Pakistan, whether it’s Daesh, whether it’s Al-Qaeda, I think the threats are clear, well-known, and we all have an interest in making sure that we have the means to deal with them. And that’s what this is about.”

It's maintenance nothing special. Engines still blocked for ATAK no movement on the AH-1Z Vipers.
Meanwhile the Pakistani military supplies Ukraine round the clock with artillery, anti-tank weapons, mines, tonnes of 7.62 ammo etc.
 
Is the USA after the Wakhan corridor to connect to the CA republics via land routes to the open seas? The Tajik President, an old Soviet era hand, has openly confronted Putin in the last Astana meeting and accused him of using them like trash! They want to have a post-Soviet/Russian life.....

Interesting times indeed....
 
I think it's a reply to the the Indian purchase of S 400 and it's their own need as well to avoid f 16s falling out of sky.
They don't trust Pakistan with regards to ops inside afganland.
1. It's said to be a package to sustain our current fleet, not provide any additional capabilities, so how would it help against the S-400?

2. Why don't they trust Pakistan for ops in Afghanistan?
 

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