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Clinton administration moves ahead on repeal of Pressler Amendment

The Clinton administration appears to be working with US Congressmen on the repeal of the Pressler Amendment under which the US had banned economic and military aid to Pakistan in 1990 in protest against the latter's nuclear programme.

State Department spokesman James Rubin yesterday recalled that National security Advisor Sandy Berger had made clear that ''he thinks the climate would change remarkably and dramatically if Pakistan did not go forward with (nuclear) testing.''

''The Pressler Amendment and all that goes with it, is a very complex set of legislation. What I can say is that certainly Pakistan would benefit and we would try to assist them in that regard in their relationship, military and otherwise, with the United States if they didn't go forward and test,'' he added.

Asked about the type of guarantee that Pakistan would like to have for not going ahead with nuclear test, Rubin said they were not looking to the United States or any other country to solve their security problems for them through some set of arrangements.

''They are making a decision over whether they should move from the status of a country that we believe has a capability to put together a limited number of nuclear weapons in a relatively short time, to a country that conducts such tests and what will the results of those tests be for their status in the world, for their economy, and for their relationship with India,'' Rubin added.

''Will they end up being better off? Will the people of Pakistan end up being better off -- not will they have an additional plane or an additional repayment of an additional loan or will they have a new military arrangement with some country or another? But it's a much larger question than simply a matter that can be resolved -- I grant you that a security alliance of some major proportion might have an impact on them, but I've just not heard anybody talking about that other than journalists and commentators,'' he added.

When asked whether Pakistan would like to be included in the US nuclear umbrella, he said, ''That didn't come up in Pakistan (during their discussion with Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott) so I guess... ''

Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone has urged fellow law-makers to oppose any effort to repeal the Pressler Amendment under which the US had banned economic and military aid to Pakistan in 1990.

Speaking in the House of Representatives, he said the direct outcome of the repeal would be the delivery of 28 F-16 fighter bombers to Pakistan which was withheld eight years ago under the amendment.

A bill has already been introduced in the US senate to abolish the provision as part of the US's efforts to persuade Pakistan from testing a nuclear device.

Berger, he said, had confirmed that the delivery of the F-16s was one of the proposals made to the Pakistan government to prevent it from conducting nuclear tests. ''This is bad policy. The repeal of the Pressler Amendment and the delivery of the F-16 fighters would only increase tension within the region,'' he added.

''The US cannot help bring peace to South Asia if it continues to fuel and arms race in the region,'' he said, adding that it was important for the US not to encourage arms build-up in South Asia.

He also wanted India to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty "immediately and without conditions". By signing the treaty, "India could assume leadership of international negotiations on capping and accumulation of weapons grade fissile material,'' he added.

Pallone wanted President Clinton to stick to his visit to South Asia, including India, by the end of this year as scheduled.

UNI

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