WASHINGTON, May 23: The Bush administration is believed to have informed Pakistan in advance of its decision to approve the sale of Israel’s Phalcon airborne early warning system to India.

The final approval was reportedly conveyed to Pakistan on May 19, when US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Stephen G. Rademaker met Pakistan’s acting foreign secretary, Tariq Usman Hyder, in Islamabad. Mr Rademaker was in Islamabad for talks on security issues and arms control treaties.

India had signed the deal to buy Phalcons from Israel last year but the US prevented Israel from making the delivery because of the tense military situation in South Asia, where India and Pakistan had deployed more than a million troops along the border.

“But Washington decided to reconsider its decision when India began to withdraw its troops and took steps to improve relations with Pakistan,” said a senior South Asian diplomat.