Re: I'm watching Fox News ...

He did, because, more than anything, the child-like GW Bush craves admiration and loves to show how powerful he is.

Thereby caving in to bin Laden's demand.

and later said 'I rarely think of him (Bin Laden) anymore.

The key question regarding Bhutto vs Musharaf is who would be able and willing to assist in the long term free market ideology that is planned for the area in the future. Bhutto may have been Harvard educated but from what I've read she was not necessarily inclined to go against the welfare of the people in order to please the international banking and multinational corporate interests.

How much worse are those American-trained Pakistani pilots?

BTW, after Germany reunited, its military became about the only one in the world with both American and Russian jets in its regular arsenal, but just 1/3 of the pilots from the east were retained because the rest were found to be deficient in flying skills.

But they're not meant to fight Americans but Indians, and considering that Pakistan's military pilots are American-trained, pilot for pilot they should do well against India's Russian-equipped air force, meaning India's pilots may follow Russian flying tactics.

You're mad because you were hoping for the money as a Christmas present but didn't get it.

Would you like to be ANY pilot, trained by anyone, and go up against an American F16 pilot?

Correct. I have a young cousin that's still a pilot there.

Modern air warfare really does not involve dogfighting anymore. Missles, electronic warfare, and stealth have moved the actual air-to-air combat miles away from each other. It is a very rare instance where fighter jets will actually be shooting each other with cannons.

The F-16 is still a very worthy fighter jet. Whether the versions sold to Pakistan are capable of competing with American or Israeli versions is in doubt. The Shah of Iran had an entire arsenal of American-made combat weapons that fell into the hands of the mullahs but they were largely ineffective after a short while because spare parts just weren't available anymore. They scrounged as much as they could but eventually were forced to scrap them and buy from the Russians, French, Chinese, etc.

Pakistan's military brass are not a bunch of radical, illiterate, camel-herding types who will allow their nuclear aresnal to fall into the hands of Al-Qaeda. I understand that they don't even keep their bombs assembled; they actually have to be put together before having any effectiveness.

Musharraf's biggest fault is that he has been trying to appease Al-Qaeda and America at the same time. He is the classic moderate and will continue to be wishy-washy until faced with his own destruction. The assasination of Benazir Bhutto will be a wake-up call to him hopefully. He is in a unique position as the one person with the best chance to deal a death blow to Al-Qaeda at this time. Until he wakes up and realizes you can't have two masters he will continue to be pushed from both sides. It's really time for him to make a choice.

Still spouting the lefty kook talking points I see LOL

We're supposed to assume that they have nothing but lousy pilots? Why should we assume that?

How do you know where the Pakistani pilots are trained? They might be trained by us, like Saudi pilots who fly our jets. If Lockheed can arrange for the president to sell its products overseas, I'm sure they can also arrange for training by our military.

When they use them against anyone but us, it won't matter, will it? If you think they've been sold second rate jets, than you must also believe India was sold second rate jets, and all is equal.

It's ignorance, Sean. That's just as bad as stupidity. We see it here in this newsgroup, from people like dbu, who think they can understand current events while being oblivious to history. Same with Bush.

You have not a clue about pilots or airplanes. Why don't you stick to cooking and your geetar.

So the #1 threat to the peace and prosperity of Pakistan is -a new Toyota factory gets built there?????

Why don't you quit with the pathetic one line responses containing absolutely nothing of substance?

I see your reading comprehension and/or tactics haven't improved. Don't you see how lame these Straw Man arguments are before you hit send?

But since *you* brought it up, tell me about the "prosperity of Pakistan", please. Is it more important than the prosperity here? While you try to think about *that* heres another little tidbit for you.

Why did Bush give more than $4.7 billion of military funding in the three years after 9/11 to Musharraf when he knew that this military dictator had zero interest in turning Pakistan into a secular democracy? I mean, we *are* spending all these dollars and lives in order to "spread democracy" aren't we?

Don't suppose it has something to do with the Military Industrial Complex do you? War profiteering in the Bushwaffe? Naw.

Did you know that in the 1990s, when Musharraf was a rising star in the Pakistani military, Pakistan was one of only three states in the world to recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate government. Yeah,

*that* Taliban, Fred. Poor Bhutto just didn't get the big picture. A lamb trusting wolves. Oh well. I guess this is what is meant by the "meek inheriting the earth." RIP

P.S. You can pick up Greenspan's latest book at Amazon, (used for as little as $15.99).

In the 500-page book, "The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World," Mr. Greenspan describes the Bush administration as so captive to its own political operation that it paid little attention to fiscal discipline, and he described President Bush?s first two Treasury secretaries, Paul H. O?Neill and John Snow, as essentially powerless.

So tell me Fred, if the Treasury secretaries have no power......, *who* does? Who is pulling the strings that so influence the "prosperity" in faraway places like Pakistan?

Why don't you stop with your silly leading questions and game playing.

It's always easy to tell when the lefties get stymied.

Your point? Do you think they get the consistent follow-up training needed to stay sharp?

When it all comes down to it, the finest pilots in the world are the Israelis, followed closely by the U.S. guys.

Consistent and constant training wins dogfights. Ask any fighter-jock.