US PRESIDENT BILL Clinton has given cautious support to a proposal to sell Pakistan's 28 embargoed Lockheed Martin F-16s to Taiwan and the Philippines, and return money from the sale to Pakistan.
The proposal was made by the senator, responsible for the embargo, which has blocked delivery of the F-16s ,(Flight International, 31 March-5 April).
Pakistan is demanding the aircraft or the return of the $658 million is has already paid for them. Clinton wants to find a solution to the impasse in a bid to improve strained relations with Pakistan. He is also proposing that $331 million-worth of other embargoed armaments be released to Pakistan. Three Lockheed Martin P-3Cs are among the blocked deliveries.
The USA, meanwhile, has admitted that it does not have sufficient evidence to prove that China has supplied Pakistan with M-11 medium-range ballistic missiles. Proof of the delivery would require the USA to impose trade sanctions on China.
A Washington Post report that US intelligence officials had "incontrovertible" proof of the delivery sparked a furore. Both China and Pakistan strongly deny that M-11s have been delivered.
Source: Flight International
