Measures in place to check Pak doesn''t use arms against India

Ajit K Dubey

Bangalore, Feb 8 (PTI) With India expressing concernover American military aid to Pakistan being used against it,the US today said it has put in place measures to ensure thatthe arms supplied to Islamabad are used only for fightingterrorism.

"I would like to ensure you on the arms sales toPakistan for counter terrorism; our Congress is very vigilant,very determined and very tenacious, that what purpose theweapons are used for," US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemertold reporters here.

He was asked to react on Indian concerns over the useof arms supplied by the US to Pakistan for counter terrorismagainst India.

Indian Government has conveyed its displeasure overthe issue to the US government on various occasions duringbilateral meetings.

The US ambassador said President Barrack Obama wasalso very "vigilant" on the issue and had reportedly toldPakistani President Asif Ali Zardari that the US would not bepart of any military build up against India.

Roemer said the Oversight Committees in the USCongress were "extremely aggressive and vigorous" about armssales to countries and when the arms are sold, they are veryparticular that those arms be used in a particular way.

"There are measures in place put by our legislativeand executive branch that these arms are used for what theyare meant for," he added.

According to reports, the United States has clearedthe sale of a whole array of sophisticated weapons such asLaser Guided Bomb kits, surveillance drones and latest-modelF-16 fighter jets to Pakistan to boost its forces capabilityto strike in remote tribal areas to take on Taliban and al-Qaeda militants.

India has been asking the US Administration to ensurethat the arms are not used against Indian interests.