Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump
has hinted that India could help the United States deal with the
"problem" of a "semi-unstable" Pakistan. Trump noted that the most
serious concern about Pakistan was that the country had nuclear weapons.
Trump's remarks came during a town hall
campaign in Indianapolis on 26 April while responding to a question
about how he would deal with countries like Pakistan that have
"double-dealt" the United States when handed funds. While Trump noted
that this was an issue, he said that scrapping aid to Pakistan would be
"a disaster" and hoped countries like India would help find an
alternative solution.
According to the Economic Times,
Trump said: "We don't want to see total instability [in Pakistan]. We
have a little bit of a good relationship. I think I'd try and keep it.
If you look at India and some of the others, maybe they'll be helping us
out, because we're going to look at it. We have many, many countries
that we give a lot of money to and we get absolutely nothing in return
and that's got to stop fast."
On the same day, US lawmakers urged the Obama
administration not to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. Citing
rising tension between India and Pakistan, Congressman Matt Salmon said
during a Congressional hearing that the timing of the sale was not
appropriate and warned that the F-16s could "ultimately be used against
India" rather than terrorists.
Salmon asked Richard Olsen, Special US
Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, to clarify the purpose and
timing of the military sale, as well as outline how the sale was in the
best interest of the United States. His views were echoed by other
members of Congress, who also raised concerns about how the weapons
would be used by Pakistan.
According to the Press Trust of India,
Congressman Brad Sherman said: "We've got to be concerned what military
assistance and whether the F-16s constitute the least expensive, most
efficient way for the Pakistani air force to go after the terrorists and
the least disruptive weapon system to the balance of power between
India and Pakistan. We need to offer Pakistan those weapon systems
well-crafted to go after terrorists and not crafted for a war with
India."
Post a Comment