NEW DELHI, 18 March 2004 — US Secretary of State Colin Powell has stressed that Washington will not be satisfied till the entire clandestine network headed by Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan has been completely broken up. The US has also made clear that it has taken no decision to sell sophisticated F-16 warplanes to Pakistan.
The Visiting US Secretary of State Colin Powell, yesterday held wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha.
Later, while talking to reporters with Yashwant Sinha, Powell said he would also take up the issue of cross-border infiltration with Musharraf when he meets him later in the day.
He observed that there has been loss of jobs in the US in the wake of outsourcing but he added that with globalization this kind of dislocation is to be expected.
When he was asked whether the US was considering giving F-16 to Pakistan as part of the proposed military package he said that no decision has been made on the military package, especially F-16.
The Bush administration had in June last year announced an economic package for Pakistan, including debt relief, but excluded F-16 from that package.
Pakistan has conveyed its strong resentment to the US over the delay in the supply of the fighter planes
Powell yesterday also met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and exchanged views on bilateral issues. Senior Congress party leaders Manmohan Singh and Natwar Singh also attended the meeting.
However, the experts say Powell’s visit is a sign that Indo-US ties have reached a level of maturity, which is no longer tied down by factors like Indo-Pak relations.
US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee have committed themselves to a new strategic partnership. Washington is keen to have New Delhi on board as an ally to tackle burning issues like global terrorism and nuclear proliferation.
