could it be that training with all those US F-16Cs and Euro F-16AMLUs coupled with this news mean something!?
WASHINGTON: The United States viewed President General Pervez Musharraf as the âbest manâ at the helm of Pakistanâs affairs and that the country was heading towards democracy, said Richard Armitage, the deputy secretary of state for the US, on Thursday.
Asked about President Musharrafâs uniform, Mr Armitage said that US Secretary of State Colin Powell has already issued a statement that President Musharraf and the people of Pakistan would decide whether he should shed or keep uniform after December 31.
Mr Armitage said that the US and Pakistan had made headway on the issue of the delivery of F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan.
He said that the US had already delivered helicopters and night vision equipment to Pakistan. The US was aware of the Pakistani Air Forceâs defence requirements, he said. Mr Armitage praised Pakistanâs effort to purge the region of terrorism. âAnti-terror operations by Pakistan have reduced Taliban capabilities to sabotage the Afghan presidential polls,â he said while talking to the Internal Relations Committee in Washington.
Mr Armitage said that Taliban attacks had reduced in the past few weeks and a change in the US government would not affect Pak-US relations. Mr Armitage said that the issue of sending Pakistani troops to Iraq was not discussed during President Musharrafâs visit to the US and Pakistan would itself decide whether to commit troops or not. He said that Pak-US relations would not be affected irrespective of the decision Pakistan makes.
Mr Armitage praised Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and called him a talented and capable person.
On Indo-Pak relations, he said that the joint statement of September 24 would help normalise relations between the nuclear neighbours. online
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