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| India-Pakistan |
| Nuclear dealing? - Pakistan and Saudi Arabia set to rewrite defence cooperation deal |
| 2006-04-15 |
| The Saudis can buy the very best military equipment from the US and Europe so what is this technology they want from Pakistan? This reeks of nuclear and missile proliferation. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are rewriting a 24-year-old defence deal in the backdrop of the fast changing scenario in the Gulf region and now both countries will hold joint war exercises and Islamabad will transfer war technology to Riyadh. The new military deal is being signed on the request of Saudi Arabia. The Pakistan Army has been sending its armed personnel on deputation on the request of Saudi Arabia since 1982, now Saudi Arabia wants a new defence treaty to get maximum benefits from the Pakistan Army. The draft agreement has been submitted to President General Pervez Musharraf for final approval. The federal cabinet meeting Wednesday with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the chair gave a go ahead to the Ministry of Defence to revise the old military cooperation pact signed in 1982 when General Ziaul Haq was ruling Pakistan and Shah Khalid was the monarch of Saudi Arabia. Earlier, the Ministry of Defence sent a draft agreement to Saudi Arabia for approval, but Saudi Arabia raised some objections. After developing consensus on the agreement, the Defence Ministry got it approved from the cabinet. According to the Defence Ministry, in terms of the rules of business of 1973, the prime minister had to approve the signing of the military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. The agreement is meant to strengthen existing bilateral relations and enhance military and defence cooperation in various fields between the armed forces of both countries. A Defence Ministry summary said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence Production and Joint Staff Headquarters had also cleared and supported the agreement. The Ministry of Law and Justice had also vetted the agreement. The earlier agreement on the deputation of PakistanÂ’s armed forces and personnel and military training was signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on December 14, 1982. The new agreement will cover areas related to cooperation in the field of training, deputation, transfer of technology, exchange of experience, purchase of weapons systems, equipments, spare parts and military medical services. |
| Posted by:john |
| #4 They also guard the House of |
| Posted by: 6 2006-04-15 09:19 |
| #3 This is exactly why Iran cannot be allowed to have nukes. As soon as they do Saudi will and soon thereafter Egypt and Venezuela. Bush needs to act and I suspect this is a signal from the Sauds to that effect. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-15 09:16 |
| #2 Saudi Arabia is paying for Pak assembled Chinese tanks - enough for a few companies of troops. But Saudi Arabia already has more M1 Abrams tanks than it can provide crew for. Question: Why the Chinese junk? Answer - Pak soldiers will be in those tanks. Another question: Of what possible use is a company of Pak troops? They cannot possibly hold off an agressor. Pak is no regional power and cannot deploy additional forces beyond its borders. Answer - the troops are to protect "strategic assets" - Pak missiles transferred to Saudi Arabia. It is known that Saudi Arabia funded the Pak nuclear program. The Saudis now want the bomb. From this report, one can surmise that Saudi wants the timetable advanced, they want the nuclear missiles NOW. |
| Posted by: john 2006-04-15 07:51 |
| #1 They can sign all the treaties they want. From my limited experience in this world, treaties between these countries are as meaningful as friends in California saying, "let's catch a movie this weekend". (Tip to non-Californians - that's not really a date, it's like saying, call me this weekend and if I'm not doing anything and you're not doing anything we'll talk about getting together to catch a movie.) |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-04-15 01:03 |