I posted last week about the threat of Bush wanting to sell arms to Pakistan, especially because of their previous ties with North Korea and the sharing of nuclear technology. It is amazing that the same week North Korea did their missile test, Bush was pushing for this sale. Now the Democrats have taken notice:
A senior Democratic lawmaker has asked the Bush administration to withdraw its offer to sell $5 billion worth of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, saying the deal raises security worries.
The action by Rep. Tom Lantos of California, the top Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, apparently led to the postponement of a congressional hearing Thursday to examine the jet sale.
Lantos told administration officials that he and other lawmakers, including committee chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., had serious concerns about the arms sale, which Pakistan has long pushed for, Lantos’ spokeswoman, Lynne Weil, said in an interview.
Lawmakers’ biggest worry, Weil said, is that China, which has close military ties with Pakistan, might gain access to F-16 technology. Lantos is a strong supporter of India, Pakistan’s nuclear-armed rival and neighbor.
China is also a worry in this bad deal. Since China and North Korea do have a close relationship, another route is given for our technology to fall in the wrong hands.
I can already predict Bush defending this sale as “aiding the war on terror” since Pakistan has been helpful in it, but at what cost is this aide? If Pakistan were to let our technology fall into the hands of North Korea, either directly or through China, then we would be facing a graver danger then the war on terror.
This sale highlights the recklessness of Bush’s foreign policy and national security policy. It also shows that the Democrats have a stronger stance on national security then the Republicans do. We got Bush still trying to sell off our ports to foreign interests and selling our military technology to foreign interests with known ties to a part of the Axis of Evil. This is highly dangerous and must be stopped immediately. Democrats must also show that this is how the Bush administration feels they should keep us safe. Sure Pakistan might help catch some al Qaeda, but they may also help Kim Jong-Il get a nuke that will hit the United States and that will be far worse than 9/11. This is Pandora’s Box.