Giving them another way to avoid the closed Pakistani border, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen today announced a deal with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to open a new supply route through Central Asia.
The deal will be particularly important for the European member nations looking to withdraw from Afghanistan in the next few years, as it will allow them to use an overland route, through Russia, to return their weaponry to their countries of origin.
The value of the route for those continuing with the occupation, like the United States which plans to remain through 2024, is questionable, since the overland route is dramatically more expensive than the sea route into Pakistan.
Pakistan closed its border to NATO in November in response to a US attack on their military bases. Negotiations on reopening the border have fallen through with the US refusing to apologize for the attack and ruling out ending the ongoing drone strikes against Pakistani territory.
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40 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan during May, 2012. See ICasualties.org for daily and cumulative US casualties. Or find daily casualties at DoD.gov under news/releases.
One of the highest monthly death tolls of the war.
im sure they would open the border immediately if it was only for outbound transport.
along with flowers and close the door on your way out
Those wily Pakistanis, having the nerve to exert their sovereignty in the face of our overwhelming hegemony. The tide is turning…
Hitler lost the War against Russia due to a long arduous supply line.The supply line will be more susceptible to attacks within Afghanistan due to longer distance to travel to reach end points and if these Jihadis are any smart they may extend attacks in the neighboring Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan,as they have paralysed Pakistan for so many years.Noneheless, it is a good news for Pakistan which would spare internal political dissent and confrontation on this issue.Nonetheless, US should get the Pakistani route back no matter what price the Pakistanis are asking. Pennies wis ,pound foolish.That is no brainer.
And in return, the Taliban forces have attacked a convoy supplying fuel to the US-led forces in Afghanistan, torching three tankers in the northeastern province of Parwan, Press TV reports. Oops! Our taxes at work, going up in flames.
Imperialism always finds a way
What an ingenious stalemate, for the drone terrorism continues, the war supplies keep getting thru, all of our military aid toi Pakistan keeps trickling up to the rich nobility, and the people’s vengeance is pacified thinking that the U.S. is being justly punished.