Pakistan's contribution to the US-led war on terrorism was rewarded on Tuesday with a pledge from President George W. Bush to work towards a $3bn (£1.7bn) package of financial and military assistance.
Now we know the price. 3 Billion oughtta get us hot pursuit rights, MMA heads on spikes and Qazi, Fazl "accidents"
| For $3 billion, they'd better be dead by morning... |
Skirting around concerns about Pakistan's role in proliferation of nuclear weapons, the halting progress in the hunt for al-Qaeda operatives and the delay to democracy's return in Pakistan, Mr Bush sought to emphasise the positive aspects of the relationship in his meeting with Gen Pervez Musharraf at Camp David. "We have no better partner in our fight against terrorism than President Musharraf," Mr Bush said, after their discussion in the grounds of the presidential retreat in Maryland.
| Except for the Brits and the Aussies. And the Israelis. And the Spanish, Italians, Portuguese, Poles, Danes, Norwegians... And the Samoans... And the Lapps... |
But Mr Bush pointedly withheld the trophy of American friendship most sought by Pakistan: the sale of F16 fighter jets.
That's gonna hurt, huh? Glad we didn't go too far in the giveaway
| Give me just a piece of $3b — say a percent or two — and you can keep your F16s... |
Referring to the $3bn assistance he would seek to secure from Congress, Mr Bush said: "In the package that we discussed, the five-year, $3bn package, half of that money goes for defence matters, of which the F-16s won't be a part." Gen Musharraf was said to have brought up the issue of the 28 jets sold to Pakistan 13 years ago, but whose release has long been blocked by Congress. The proposed $3bn package will be determined by Congress, where there are mixed feelings about the close working relationship between the Bush administration and Gen Musharraf. While some in Congress welcome Pakistan's assistance in the pursuit of terrorists, the battle to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq, some lawmakers are concerned by reports of Pakistani sales of nuclear technology to North Korea, ties between militant Islamic groups and Pakistani intelligence services, the rights of women and the continuing rule of a leadership imposed by the military.
| Some of us bloggers, too. |
Mr Bush on Tuesday reinforced Washington's encouragement of the "movement toward democracy in Pakistan". He gave a nod in the direction of the free trade agreement sought by Gen Musharraf's government, as both sides announced a trade and investment framework agreement. The deal serves as a stepping stone towards a future Pakistan-US free trade agreement.
| Yeah. We can export arms to them, and we can import... ummm... arms. |
Gen Musharraf argued that his ambition was to install a resilient form of democracy: "Over the last 50 years, five decades, we have had dysfunctional democracy in Pakistan," the general said. "What I am doing, really, is to introduce sustainable democracy."
| Dissolve parliament, call for new elections, and ban holy men, their front men, and anyone who's been convicted of a crime of violence from standing for office. (Solved that problem right off the top of my head. Can a have a piece of that $3B? I'll be waiting for my check... Of course, that leaves them with a parliament made up of eight people, two of them not yet weaned...) |
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