Sunday Observer
Oomph! - Sunday Observer MagazineJunior Observer
Sunday, 27 March 2005  
The widest coverage in Sri Lanka.
World
News

Business

Features

Editorial

Security

Politics

World

Letters

Sports

Obituaries

Archives

Mihintalava - The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization

Silumina  on-line Edition

Government - Gazette

Daily News

Budusarana On-line Edition





F-16 sale unlikely to shoot down peace with India

ISLAMABAD, Saturday (AFP) India and Pakistan should be able to keep their fledgling peace process alive despite New Delhi's anger at the planned US sale of F-16 warplanes to nuclear rival Islamabad, analysts and officials said.

Washington said late Friday, in a major turnaround, that it had agreed to let Pakistan, a major ally in the US war on terror, buy the sophisticated fighter jets in the face of fierce objections from India.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed "great disappointment" when US President George W. Bush telephoned to inform him of the decision, fearing it could affect the balance of power on the subcontinent.

But Pakistan, which has fought three wars against India, apparently tried to soften the blow by pointing out the United States had said it was also ready to boost defence ties with New Delhi.

"We want good relations with them. We have no objection if India gets anything, they can also buy the aircraft," Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told AFP after the US announcement.

Relations between India and Pakistan have thawed since they launched a peace process 14 months ago, with the two countries rebuilding sporting ties, people-to-people contacts and transport links.

Pakistan's military ruler President Pervez Musharraf is scheduled to watch a cricket match in the Indian capital and meet Singh next month in a further sign of detente.

But defence remains a sensitive topic, with India raising objections to the possible sale of F-16s to Pakistan during an Asian tour by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week. Singh brought up the concerns again when he talked to Bush on Friday, telling him the decision "could have negative consequences for India's security environment," said the prime minister's spokesman, Sanjaya Baru.

However analysts said the South Asian neighbours, which split in 1947 after independence from Britain, would be able to overcome their differences about the so-called Fighting Falcon jets.

"This is part of the American effort to maintain a conventional balance between Pakistan and India," Riffat Hussain, head of the strategic studies department at Islamabad's Quaid-e-Azam University, told AFP.

The United States pointed out Friday that it would "respond positively" to an Indian request for information on a bid for F-16s, F-18s or other aircraft.


For Sale -  Claremont  Hotel School Premises

www.hemastravels.com

www.millenniumcitysl.com

www.cse.lk/home//main_summery.jsp

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

www.singersl.com

www.peaceinsrilanka.org

www.helpheroes.lk


| News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security |
| Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries | Junior Observer |


Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager


Hosted by Lanka Com Services