US turns focus to Pakistan’s conventional defence

The United States appears to have realised the importance of strengthening Pakistan’s conventional defence while also enhancing its capability to fight extremists.In doing so, senior US officials also recognised Pakistan’s concerns about India and conceded that Washington’s growing ties with New Delhi were a cause of concern for Islamabad. “We must continue to reassure Pakistan that as it combats the terrorist threat, it is not exposing itself to increased risk along its eastern border,” said Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Michele Flournoy while explaining why the United States needed to strengthen Islamabad’s conventional defence systems as well. 

“Although extremist attacks have led to the repositioning of substantial Pakistani forces, Pakistan’s strategic concerns about India remain pre-eminent.”Under Secretary Flournoy and other senior US officials who spoke to the House Armed Services Committee urged lawmakers to provide funding for billions of dollars of planned US military and civilian aid to Pakistan during the next five years. 

Separately, another senior Pentagon official told journalists in Washington that the sale of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan later this year would be “a sign of this burgeoning relationship between us and increased defence cooperation between our two countries.”In a related development, senior US State and Defence officials said the United States planned to provide $1.5 billion to Pakistan by September 2011 for buying military equipment. During the same period, the United States also plans to reimburse about $2.3 billion Pakistan spent while fighting terrorists along the Afghan border. Of these, $600 million will be quickly transferred to Pakistan while the rest will be reimbursed by September 2011, when the current US fiscal year ends. 

Besides providing military equipment, the United States also has accepted Pakistan’s position that it has genuine interests in Afghanistan and those interests need to be protected.Meanwhile, the US media reports that the United States and Pakistan are establishing a joint military intelligence centre inside Pakistan. The United States is also sending 50 aircraft technicians to Pakistan with four new F-16s it plans to hand over to Islamabad in June. 

By September 2011, Pakistan will receive a total of 18 of these planes. A US military team will accompany these aircraft “to ensure that sophisticated, top-of-the-line avionics, weapons and data systems aboard the aircraft remain secure,” The Washington Post reported.The planes, which for the first time will allow Pakistan to conduct night-time air operations, are far more advanced than the 30-year-old US aircraft that are the current mainstay of the Pakistan Air Force. 

Currently, there are about 200 US military instructors in Pakistan, including 140 from a Special Operations training and advisory contingent.The CIA also has sent additional intelligence-gathering operatives and technicians in recent months and plans are under way to establish a joint military intelligence processing centre in Pakistan. Under Secretary Flournoy said the plans to help Pakistan strengthen its defence “remain vital to our overall goal of disrupting, dismantling and defeating Al Qaeda and to enhancing stability in a critical region”. 

Key US lawmakers also back the new Pakistan policy, and have urged action to further increase educational opportunities for Pakistani military officers at US military schools, and faster movement to provide Pakistan with key military hardware, particularly helicopters......................source

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