463. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Brown to President Carter1
SUBJECT
- F16s for Pakistan
I urge you to reconsider your decision not to offer to sell F16s to Pakistan.2 My reasons are contained in my memorandum to you of September 29 (attached).3 I want to reemphasize that—
—Pakistan has a well justified military case: all its neighbors have advanced aircraft, including most prominently the Soviets in Afghanistan.
—We are, quite properly, unwilling to broaden our security commitment or seek FMS credits at this time. This leaves agreement to sell advanced aircraft as the only politically significant step we can take on the security side of our relationship. It would be an important step: we need to encourage the Paks to resist increasing Soviet pressure for accommodation; we need to encourage regional states to believe in our commitment to oppose Soviet expansion.
—Our hopes that reluctance to sell Pakistan advanced weapons would help in bringing India to resist Soviet aggression more robustly have proved idle. In my judgment, continued reluctance won’t stiffen the Indians and a sale of F16s (which we can also offer to India) won’t push them into Soviet arms.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, VIP Visit File, Box 11, Pakistan: President Zia-ul-Haq, 10/3/80: Briefing Book. Secret. In the upper right-hand corner of the memorandum, Carter wrote: “Zbig—put in briefing book, J.”↩
- See footnote 4, Document 462.↩
- Not found attached but printed as Document 459.↩