Speaking at the Democratic congressional campaign committee reception in Los Angeles on Friday, USA President Joe Biden tore into Pakistan by calling it one of the most dangerous nations in the world. The remark came merely a month after the USA struck a $450 million defence deal with Pakistan.
Biden said, “What I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world, Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” when discussing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its global consequences, as well as the US foreign policy toward China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
“What I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world, Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion”, said US President Joe Biden at Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Reception pic.twitter.com/cshFV5GVHY
— ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2022
“Did anybody think we’d be in a situation where China is trying to figure out its role relative to Russia and relative to India and relative to Pakistan?” the US president was quoted in the official transcript of the speech released by the White House.
“This is a guy (Xi Jinping) who understands what he wants but has an enormous, enormous array of problems. How do we handle that? How do we handle that relative to what’s going on in Russia? And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” Biden added.
Talking about Putin, Biden said, “Did any of you ever think you’d have a Russian leader, since the Cuban Missile Crisis, threatening the use of tactical nuclear weapons that would — could only kill three, four thousand people and be limited to make a point?”
“This is a guy who understands what he wants but has an enormous, enormous array of problems. How do we handle that? How do we handle that relative to what’s going on in Russia? And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” the US president said.
US sanctions $450 million F-16 fleet sustainment program for Pakistan
It is worth noting that Biden’s remark came roughly three weeks after the US and Pakistan struck a defence deal on the F-16 fleet. On September 8, OpIndia reported how US President Joe Biden approved $450 million in financial aid to Pakistan to sustain a fleet of F-16 fighter jets, overriding the decision taken under previous President Donald Trump. This assistance is being provided to Pakistan in order for it to deal with existing and future counter-terrorism operations, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
The United States recognizes Pakistan as a counter-terrorism ally
The State Department said in a statement to the US Congress that it has decided to sanction a prospective Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Pakistan for the maintenance of F-16 fighter jets. “The US government has notified Congress of a potential foreign military sale to preserve the Pakistan Air Force’s F-16 program,” a State Department spokesperson said. He further added that Pakistan is an essential counter-terrorism ally.
India questions merits of US-Pakistan deal on F-16
After the deal was struck between the USA and Pakistan, Dr S Jaishankar, the Union Minister of External Affairs slammed the Biden administration’s plan to provide 450 million dollars in spares and maintenance for Pakistan’s F-16s, asserting that claims that these highly proficient fighter aircraft are exclusively for counter-terrorism operations are nonrational and delusional.
Rajnath Singh, the Indian Defence Minister, had also voiced India’s reservations to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Washington’s proposal to provide a maintenance package for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet.
