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(11 Apr 1995) English/Nat
Pakistan's Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, met with U-S President Bill Clinton today (Tuesday) to deliver a clear message: my planes or my money.
Benazir Bhutto wants the Clinton administration to either unfreeze the delivery of 28 F- 16 fighter jets or return the one-point-four (b) billion dollars paid for them.
Clinton promised to urge Congress to reimburse Pakistan. But he is limited by a 1990 law which freezes U-S military supplies and economic aid to Pakistan due to concerns that it was developing nuclear weapons.
Bhutto told Clinton that Pakistan had no nuclear weapons, although she claimed it had the knowledge to build them.
President Clinton's administration inherited the uncomfortable situation of Pakistan's payment of one-point-four billion U-S dollars for fighter jets it never received.
The 28 F-16 fighter jets were manufactured and paid for, but never delivered.
The deal is being held up by a 1990 U-S law freezing economic aid and military supplies for Pakistan over concern that it is acquiring nuclear weapons.
Bhutto said Pakistan had the knowledge to develop atomic weapons, but had decided against assembling, exporting or detonating nuclear devices.
The measure is known as the Pressler amendment, after its sponsor, Senator Larry Pressler of South Dakota.
Following their meeting, President Clinton says the situation is unfair and must be addressed.
SOUNDBITE:
"I don't think what happened was fair to Pakistan, in terms of the money. Now under the law, we can't give up the equipment, the law is clear. So I intend to consult with Congress on that to see what we can do."
SUPER CAPTION: US President Bill Clinton
Bhutto felt progress was being made on the five year old dispute.
SOUNDBITE:
"I'm encouraged by my discussions with the president this morning and with the concern he has shown for Pakistan. I welcome the Clinton administration's decision to work with Congress to revise the Pressler amendment."
SUPER CAPTION: Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto
The two leaders also discussed the 48-year-old conflict between Pakistan and India over control of the disputed Kashmir territory on their borders.

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