Pakistan, the DSCA, and unintended irony

Government bureaucrats are not known for their wit, but I expect one or two from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) got a chuckle recently from a routine notice of a possible sale of aircraft spare parts to Pakistan.

The $62 million deal outlined in the 12 May news release says Pakistan is in the market for spare parts for types such as the F-16, C-130, T-37, and T-33. It makes no mention of when Pakistan made the request.

All good and well, but following the USA's 2 May romp in Pakistani air space to take out Osama Bin Laden, the DSCA release could have done without some of the boilerplate statements that are standard to such releases.

Awkward boilerplate statement 1:

"This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in Central Asia."

What about US government concerns that Pakistan is playing a double game, supporting the Taliban on the one hand, while cozying up to the US on the other? And if the Pakistani Air Force had been more on the ball on 2 May, would this really have helped the USA?

Even more awkward boilerplate statement 2:

The uninterrupted supply of spare parts will allow Pakistan to keep its aircraft fleet at the highest state of readiness."

An admirable sentiment on the part of the US government, but exactly how ready does the US want the PAF to really be? And against whom? Presumably not ready enough to foul up US special forces raids in Pakistan sovereign territory. Or not sufficiently ready to take a swat at US Predators and Reapers, which by all accounts have free reign over Pakistan's tribal regions.

Nothing like a dash of unintended irony to brighten the day.

Follow me on Twitter: @AsiaJetwatch