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US secures extra supply routes into Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD – The United States has secured extra supply routes for foreign forces fighting in Afghanistan, said a top US general on Tuesday ahead of a major troop surge and strategy overhaul under Barack Obama.
The incoming US president, who was to be sworn into office in Washington later Tuesday, has identified the battle against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in Afghanistan as one of his administration's priorities.
General David Petraeus, the top US commander for southwest Asia and a key advocate of a US troop surge in Afghanistan, said deals involving Central Asian states and Russia were in place for routes into the insurgency-racked country.
The move follows spectacular attacks on depots in and around Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, where hundreds of vehicles used to ferry supplies to NATO and US forces in Afghanistan from the south were set ablaze.
"It is very important, as we increase effort in Afghanistan, that we have multiple routes that go into the country," said Petraeus after talks with the Pakistani government in Islamabad, a key US ally in the "war on terror".
Petraeus said he had visited Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to reach agreements.
"There have been agreements reached and there are transit lines now and transit agreements for commercial goods and services in particular that include several countries in the Central Asian states and also Russia," he said.
The US military said last month it would send reinforcements of 20,000 to 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, where about 70,000 international troops are fighting alongside Afghan security forces against an extremist insurgency.
The road from Peshawar to the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan passes through lawless tribal areas, where extremists have sought refuge since the hardline Taliban regime in Kabul was ousted in the 2001 US-led invasion.
Petraeus met Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and army chief General Ashfaq Kayani, hearing concern from Islamabad over dozens of suspected US missile strikes since August.
"Pakistan expressed concern over the drone attacks and hoped that the new administration will take into consideration the negative impact domestically of such attacks for the democratic government," said a government official.
Pakistan has come under heightened Western pressure to take greater action against Islamist extremists in the country, where more than 1,500 people have been killed in militant attacks in the last 17 months.
Pakistani troops backed by war planes and helicopter gunships killed 60 militants in 24 hours, a paramilitary official said, in an offensive against insurgents in Mohmand, an extremist stronghold near the Afghan border.
Without naming Petraeus or anyone else, the head of Pakistan's armed forces hit out against the pressure, demanding that "unhelpful statements must stop" from outside powers asking Pakistan to do more against terror.
Tensions are also on the rise between nuclear powers Pakistan and India following attacks in Mumbai, which New Delhi blamed on Islamists infiltrating across the border.
"Such international players must come out from the coercive mindset and instead start delivering on the promised capacity assistance to help Pakistan in dealing with the problem," General Tariq Majid told the Turkish ambassador.
The comments from Majid, whose position is largely confined to ceremonial duties, were released by the military press office.
Rifaat Hussain, head of the strategic studies department at Quaid-e-Azam University, said Petraeus's timely visit underscored the importance Washington attaches to Pakistan in reappraising its south Asian strategy.
"The Centcom chief would like to make sure that the supply line issue gets resolved and Pakistan is on board on the purpose of the American troop surge in Afghanistan and how the whole surge is managed," he told AFP.
Petraeus, lauded for turning round a Sunni insurgency in Iraq with a 30,000 troop "surge", wants a regional approach to resolving the war in Afghanistan, including not only Pakistan and but perhaps US foe Iran.
ISLAMABAD – The United States has secured extra supply routes for foreign forces fighting in Afghanistan, said a top US general on Tuesday ahead of a major troop surge and strategy overhaul under Barack Obama.
The incoming US president, who was to be sworn into office in Washington later Tuesday, has identified the battle against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in Afghanistan as one of his administration's priorities.
General David Petraeus, the top US commander for southwest Asia and a key advocate of a US troop surge in Afghanistan, said deals involving Central Asian states and Russia were in place for routes into the insurgency-racked country.
The move follows spectacular attacks on depots in and around Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, where hundreds of vehicles used to ferry supplies to NATO and US forces in Afghanistan from the south were set ablaze.
"It is very important, as we increase effort in Afghanistan, that we have multiple routes that go into the country," said Petraeus after talks with the Pakistani government in Islamabad, a key US ally in the "war on terror".
Petraeus said he had visited Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to reach agreements.
"There have been agreements reached and there are transit lines now and transit agreements for commercial goods and services in particular that include several countries in the Central Asian states and also Russia," he said.
The US military said last month it would send reinforcements of 20,000 to 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, where about 70,000 international troops are fighting alongside Afghan security forces against an extremist insurgency.
The road from Peshawar to the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan passes through lawless tribal areas, where extremists have sought refuge since the hardline Taliban regime in Kabul was ousted in the 2001 US-led invasion.
Petraeus met Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and army chief General Ashfaq Kayani, hearing concern from Islamabad over dozens of suspected US missile strikes since August.
"Pakistan expressed concern over the drone attacks and hoped that the new administration will take into consideration the negative impact domestically of such attacks for the democratic government," said a government official.
Pakistan has come under heightened Western pressure to take greater action against Islamist extremists in the country, where more than 1,500 people have been killed in militant attacks in the last 17 months.
Pakistani troops backed by war planes and helicopter gunships killed 60 militants in 24 hours, a paramilitary official said, in an offensive against insurgents in Mohmand, an extremist stronghold near the Afghan border.
Without naming Petraeus or anyone else, the head of Pakistan's armed forces hit out against the pressure, demanding that "unhelpful statements must stop" from outside powers asking Pakistan to do more against terror.
Tensions are also on the rise between nuclear powers Pakistan and India following attacks in Mumbai, which New Delhi blamed on Islamists infiltrating across the border.
"Such international players must come out from the coercive mindset and instead start delivering on the promised capacity assistance to help Pakistan in dealing with the problem," General Tariq Majid told the Turkish ambassador.
The comments from Majid, whose position is largely confined to ceremonial duties, were released by the military press office.
Rifaat Hussain, head of the strategic studies department at Quaid-e-Azam University, said Petraeus's timely visit underscored the importance Washington attaches to Pakistan in reappraising its south Asian strategy.
"The Centcom chief would like to make sure that the supply line issue gets resolved and Pakistan is on board on the purpose of the American troop surge in Afghanistan and how the whole surge is managed," he told AFP.
Petraeus, lauded for turning round a Sunni insurgency in Iraq with a 30,000 troop "surge", wants a regional approach to resolving the war in Afghanistan, including not only Pakistan and but perhaps US foe Iran.