USA offered several bombers to Pindi
WASHINGTON, July 7.-The State Department said yesterday the US had offered several B-57 bombers to Pakistan as part of a “once only exception” in last autumn to its embargo on arms shipments, reports Reuter.
But none of the planes was delivered, the department spokesman, Mr. Charles Bray, said when asked about weekend reports that Pakistan last month had asked for seven B-57 bombers.
“No item under the offer of last fall has been delivered to Pakistan and its agents and nothing is scheduled delivery,” Mr. Bray said.
The department has acknowledged daliveries of other items since the March 25 cut off on arms deliveries announced after the Pak Military crackdown on East Bengal.
Some of these were replacement parts not affected by the original 1965 embargo on lethal weapons to India and Pakistan, the State Department said.
Other US Officials acknowledged that Pakistan had inquired several times about the status of the delivery of weapons included in the sole exception package.
The Pakistani Government was told the whole mater was under review, the officials said.
In another development, the department announced details of the additional $50 million (Rs 37.5 crores) refugee relief assistance to India committed by the US on June 24.
Mr. Bray said that $25 million (Rs. 18.75 crores) would be used to provide a three-month food supply for about half of the East Bengal refugees in India.
Another $25 million would be used to buy medicines and other relief supplies.
Meanwhile, the freighter Padma, denied permission to loan Sabre jet parts for Pakistan was scheduled to leave Montreal tonight with an approved Canadian shipment aboard, AP adds.
The Pakistani freighter sails for Baltimore and is to call at Philadelphia later before heading for Pakistan.
Keel Shipping Ltd., Montreal agent for the freighter, said the Padma was loading paper products here and a cobalt bomb used for treating cancer.
Export permits for 46 crates of F-86 Sabre jet aprts destined for Karachi were suspended on last Wednesday, in line with the ban on arms shipments imposed in March when civil war broke out in East Bengal.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 08.07.1971