Halting the Spread of What?

In keeping with George Bush's plan to halt the spread of terror in the world, The US State Department is reported to be on the verge of selling a fleet of F-16 fighter jets to our good friends in Pakistan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/politics/25cnd-military.html?ex=1112418000

I suppose we could look at this as a fitting reward for keeping Osama bin Laden safe and secure in those caves along the Afghanistan border while we take care of more important business in Iraq. Or maybe we could look at this as repayment for the way they have helped to keep nuclear weapons technology out of the hands of ............oh wait, there was that business of selling nuclear technology to Iran but I guess that's heavy water under the bridge now.

In yet another example of how George is a man of conviction, he is showing his zealot-like resolve in following through with this sale even over the objection of Pakistan's nuclear neighbor, India. After all, we shouldn't let the potential to heat up the always turbulent relationship between these two frequently battling nuclear powers stop us from protecting our reputation for being the world's largest exporter of death and destruction in the world.

I'm sure it never occured to the State Department to, oh I don't know, maybe give food or medicine or possibly some heavy equipment for creating roads and other infrastructure improvements. You know, some things that might raise the quality of life of the average Pakistani so they wouldn't "envy" us so much that half of them want to kill us. Well, I suppose if putting more pollution in the air can be called "Clear Skies" and clearcutting acres of old growth can be called "Healthy Forests", selling fighter jets to a totalitarian regime with nuclear capability can be called "halting the spread of terror".

Chad (The Left) Shue
Still somewhere in Oz