Hypocrisy and the U.S. government are terms which certainly go hand in hand, but this one really takes the cake.
An ongoing federal investigation has discovered Pakistan may have illegally purchased U.S. nuclear technology through an Islamabad businessman said to have ties to Islamic militants. According to the Los Angeles Times, “U.S. law prohibits the sale of equipment that can be used in nuclear weapons programs to Pakistan and some other countries as part of the effort to curb nuclear proliferation.”
Now get this. During the federal investigation into Pakistani weapons technology on one side of the White House, the Bush administration was busy with its own task — promising Pakistan the sale of F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. as a reward for Pakistan’s cooperation in the War on Terror. Pakistan requested the technology to build up the country’s defenses; however, Pakistani Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed has firmly articulated that the sale of the jets is not dependent on a reduction in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program.
And that’s not all. According to the Associated Press, “Mindful of the fragile balance of power in South Asia, the administration also gave a green light to India for its own purchase of sophisticated weapons.”
Well, just as long as it’s fair.
Both amusing and disturbing here is this fact: Federal money is funding an investigation into Pakistan’s purchase of nuclear technology in an effort to crack down on nuclear programs, but investigators could easily walk down the hall into the Oval Office, slap someone, and achieve the same effect. The Bush administration is effectively speaking out against an arms race while sneaking up and injecting both competitors with a hearty dose of steroids.
The message is that nuclear technology is acceptable, as long as it is in the interest of the United States. Technology purchased from militant groups deserves an in-depth investigation, but technology from the United States is a bountiful reward, an agent
of balance.
Our government must recognize that nuclear weapons are not a bargaining chip. Luckily, Congress still needs to sign off on the export of this technology before either country can receive the F-16s. Congress must make a decisive stand against this inane decision and affirm that the power to wipe out entire nations, not to mention the planet, belongs in the hands of no one.

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