The price of doing business

Our relationship with Pakistan is an odd duck. We need Pakistan's cooperation in going after terrorists on their soil, and sometimes that cooperation comes with a price.

The United States has agreed to provide Pakistan with the latest in conventional weapons systems, as well as F-16s, to fight against terror.

The Indian Express newspaper said Tuesday the United States has agreed to provide Pakistan's military with latest conventional weapons system, in addition to the promised F-16s, to fight terrorism.

The Pakistani military said the commitment to provide the weapons was made by the United States after the list of defense requirements provided to the United States by Pakistan at the recently concluded U.S.-Pakistan defense consultative group meeting was examined.

"The United States has agreed to sell conventional weapons and latest weapon system to Pakistan so that the fight against terrorism can effectively move forward," said Tariq Waseem Ghazi, Pakistani defense secretary, adding that it had also been decided at the meeting to hold joint U.S.-Pakistan military exercises in 2007.

Following the October 2005 earthquake that killed 70,000 and made millions homeless, Ghazi said, Pakistan scaled down its plans to buy 77 F-16s and instead sought about 25 used and second-hand planes.

Any bets as to whether these jets will be used in Balochistan?

And suuuuuuuure, this was a mistake.

Pakistan did not supply Stinger missiles to Iran and only 35 missiles reached Iran that too by mistake, said Lieutenant General (r) Hameed Gul, the former director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence. Talking to a private TV channel, Gul said the Inter-Services Intelligence had supplied 50 to 70 Stinger missiles to former Afghanistan prime minister Gulbadin Hekamtyar. He said most of the missiles should have been exhausted because of redundancy in their batteries, and only few of them might still be operational. “The number of attacks on United States aircraft in Afghanistan by the Taliban shows the militants might have acquired anti-aircraft missiles from elsewhere,” he said.

Never mind Iran, don't overlook the statement here that Pakistani intelligence gave dozens of Stingers to Hekamtyar. He is a warlord who actively supports the Taliban against the US. He was designated a terrorist by the US in 2003.

With friends like Pakistan, who needs friends.