|
|
|
| 13 December 2004 | Monday | 30 Shawwal 1425 |
'F-16s' sale to affect dialogue'
NEW DELHI, Dec 12: The US sale of F-16 jets to Pakistan would affect the peace process with India, Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday, rejecting the US argument the planes were intended to be used against terrorists.
"The argument put forward by the United States that the weapons are being given to contain terrorist groups like the Al Qaeda and Taliban does not stand," Mr Mukherjee told reporters.
"Nobody uses F-16 planes and other sophisticated weapons meant for big wars to fight terrorists." India had expressed its 'sensitivities' on US arms sales to Pakistan during talks with US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in New Delhi last week, he said.
"We told US Defence Secretary Rumsfeld that supplying weapons like F-16 fighter aircraft, lethal missile systems and naval reconnaissance aircraft to Pakistan at this juncture would affect the peace process," the minister said.
"During his visit to New Delhi, he had met me, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Foreign Minister K. Natwar Singh and all of us impressed upon him that the weapons should not be given to Pakistan at this juncture." India has said that the sale of the planes can also 'impact on the goodwill' between New Delhi and Washington. -AFP
|
|
|
|