Bush wants to move antiterror aid to jets

WASHINGTON, July 24 (UPI) -- Some members of the U.S. Congress say they're dismayed at a Bush administration proposal to shift antiterrorism aid to Pakistan to upgrade its F-16 airplanes.

The lawmakers say the transfer of nearly $230 million to refurbish Pakistan's attack planes that don't help in the counterrorism fight runs counter to President George Bush's urging Pakistan to increase pressure on al-Qaida and the Taliban in its tribal areas, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The transfer would represent more than two-thirds of the $300 million Pakistan will receive this year in U.S. military financing for equipment and training.

Pakistan's military seldom used its current fleet of F-16s for close-air support of counterterrorism missions because of the risk of civilian casualties. The upgrades would enhance the planes' ability to strike insurgents accurately, while reducing the risk to civilians, State Department sources told the Times.

However, lawmakers questioned whether the money could be spent more effectively.

"We need to know if this is the best way to help Pakistan combat al-Qaida and the Taliban," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of an Appropriations Committee sub-panel on the State Department and foreign operations, said in a statement.