U.S. says Funds for F-16s to Pakistan is Tough Sell

Congress will hold a hearing on Tuesday to question the Administrations decision to spend over $200 million to upgrade Pakistan's F-16s. Congress should question the entire aid program, $11 billion, for Pakistan. But I don't think that will happen. Reuters

WASHINGTON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The Bush administration expects an uphill battle with Congress for permission to use counterterrorism funds to upgrade Pakistan's F-16 fighters, the State Department's top diplomat for South Asia said on Monday.

But even if lawmakers balk, the State Department believes it has the authority to shift counterterrorism aid to the fighter program.[...]

Lawmakers plan to hold a hearing on Tuesday to grill administration officials on the F-16 program with Pakistan and its use in counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda and Taliban extremists in the border areas with Afghanistan.

Analysts say the F-16, built by Lockheed Martin Corp, and other big-ticket military items have in the past been viewed by Islamabad as weapons to help Pakistan counter its rival, India.

....

But Boucher said the F-16s also had been used for counterterrorism missions in hundreds of sorties targeting militants in the tribal areas in recent months.

The F-16 upgrade was badly needed, he said, and would give Pakistan with a more effective counter-terrorism tool, enabling forces to work at night and improve precision-strike capability.