President Bush plans to give Pakistan a “substantial discount”—or perhaps compensation of some sort—on its purchase of 36 F-16 aircraft to show appreciations for Islamabad’s efforts in the war on terror. According to The News, President Pervez Musharraf has received such assurance during one of several telephone conversations with Bush. (The two are set to meet face-to-face on Friday at the White House.) Congress, which probably still feels somewhat on the outs about the F-16 purchase, may take a different view.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.