Pakistan nuclear tests won't trigger war with India: U.S.

WASHINGTON, May 28 Kyodo - Pakistan's nuclear tests will not directly escalate into conflict with its rival India, the U.S. Defense Department predicted Thursday. Speaking at a news conference, Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said it is ''not surprising that the countries are nervous about one another now and that's been shown in some of their force dispositions.'' ''But we have not seen specific signs that this arms race is focusing on very specific action beyond the tests at this stage,'' Bacon said. Bacon said the Pentagon is still analyzing the size of Pakistan's nuclear tests and the number of devices exploded. But he said there has been no evidence to indicate use of fusion or thermonuclear devices. ''Our intelligence community is in the process of looking into that. It takes a while to pull together the seismic and other data and to get a clear picture of what went on,'' Bacon said, adding that it would probably take several days. The spokesman said Pakistan's actions have made it difficult for the United States to deliver about 70 F-16 fighter jets, for which Pakistan has already partially paid. ''I think it's one of the things that Pakistan sacrificed in making this test. So my guess is that it'll be very difficult for Pakistan to get that money back now,'' he said. Ties between Washington and Islamabad turned sour when Congress froze an arms package to the country in 1990 after then U.S. President George Bush refused to certify Pakistan was not engaged in nuclear proliferation. Under the arms package, Pakistan had planned to buy about 110 F-16 planes, but the United States agreed to only 70. But the transaction was blocked by an amendment aimed at preventing nuclear proliferation. Before Pakistan's nuclear tests, there was speculation that U.S. President Bill Clinton might return the money or deliver the aircraft in an effort to dissuade Pakistan from conducting its own nuclear tests. Bacon said Washington is in touch with China, which is said to have close military ties with Pakistan, over the current situation in South Asia. ''There clearly have been some consultations with China,'' he said. ''I don't want to get into great detail on that.''