News

DATE=7/13/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-235405 TITLE=PENTAGON / PAKISTAN (S-ONLY) BYLINE=MAXIM KNIAZKOV DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE U-S DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SAYS A JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE WITH PAKISTAN HAS BEEN PUT ON HOLD FOLLOWING SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON ISLAMABAD IN THE AFTERMATH OF ITS NUCLEAR TESTS. V-O-A'S MAXIM KNIAZKOV REPORTS A PENTAGON SPOKESMAN SAYS THE DECISION CONCERNS THE EXERCISE "INSPIRED VENTURE" THAT WAS PLANNED FOR NEXT MONTH. TEXT: THE PROPOSED EXERCISES DREW MEDIA ATTENTION BECAUSE IT WAS TO INVOLVE U-S SPECIAL FORCES AND SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE AFTER WASHINGTON SLAPPED PAKISTAN WITH PUNITIVE SANCTIONS. BUT ON MONDAY, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN BILL DARLEY TOLD V-O-A THE U-S CENTRAL COMMAND PLACED THIS AND OTHER JOINT PROJECTS WITH PAKISTAN UNDER REVIEW. // ACT DARLEY // CURRENT EVENTS IN THE REGION HAVE DICTATED THE HOLDING STATUS. THE CURRENT EVENTS HAVE TO DO WITH THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN PAKISTAN AND INDIA WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR NUCLEAR EXPERIMENTS. // END ACT // THE REVIEW IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES FALL UNDER SANCTIONS PROVISIONS. THE SANCTIONS SUSPENDED U-S AID TO PAKISTAN AND INDIA AND REQUIRE WASHINGTON TO OPPOSE THESE COUNTRIES' REQUESTS FOR INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. (SIGNED) NEB/MAX/PT 13-Jul-98 8:33 PM EDT (0033 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .