Nato signs deal to move Afghan equipment via Central Asia

[Parihaka]

Nato signs deal to move Afghan equipment via Central Asia

Nato has signed deals with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to use their territory for evacuating vehicles and military equipment from Afghanistan.

The agreement will allow the military alliance to bypass Pakistan, which has blocked Nato from using its territory in a disagreement over drone strikes.

Nato will begin pulling troops and equipment out of Afghanistan in earnest later this year.

This deal means it can return equipment to Europe overland via Russia.

Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the Central Asian deals on Monday.

He told a press conference: "These agreements will give us a range of new options and the robust and flexible transport network we need."

Route issues

The US-led Nato operation in Afghanistan is due to wind down completely by the end of 2014.

Tens of thousands of vehicles, containers and arms will have to leave them. The force has already started pulling out some equipment.

Pakistan is the easiest and cheapest route out of landlocked Afghanistan, but it has been closed to Nato forces for six months.

Islamabad shut down the southern supply routes after US airstrikes accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, forcing Nato to switch mostly to the so-called Northern Distribution Network through Central Asia, the Caucuses and Russia.

The US has been negotiating with Pakistan to try and reopen the southern route, but talks have made little progress so far.

[Parihaka]

and the Pakistan opinion

ISLAMABAD - NATO’s transport deal with three Central Asian Republics to take its military equipment from Afghanistan through the Northern Distribution Network (NDN) is nothing but a mere pressure tactic to secure its supplies from Pakistan.Well-placed diplomatic sources and security analysts told TheNation on Wednesday that the western military alliance cannot afford to pay more on its goods than what Pakistan has demanded for reopening the NATO’s ground supplies which remain suspended since November.“It is just an effort of NATO to prevail upon Islamabad to get its supplies to Afghanistan reopened without further delay,” the sources said, adding the western military alliance cannot afford to sustain costly and risky NDN to take out its heavy military equipment while pulling out its forces from Afghanistan by 2014.They were of the view that how come NATO which is shying away from agreeing to the pay amount demanded by Pakistan can afford to pay more for unfeasible and risky route through the Central Asia. The sources were hopeful that US and its western allies will have to accept Pakistan’s demands for deep cooperation not only for counter-terrorism efforts but also for safe and secure exit of their forces from Afghanistan. As regards Pakistan, sources said that Pakistan too couldn’t afford to keep the NATO/ISAF supplies suspended for indefinite period for variety of reasons with economic benefits and good will with the US and European Union. “Pakistan is looking for an honourbale and amicable solution of in line with the demands of its parliament,” a security analyst said, adding talks with the US were moving slowly but positively. – Maqbool MalikWhile commenting on the NATO’s announcement of securing transport deal with three Central Asian Republics, he said these were part of posturing as Pakistan is sticking to its demands.

[TopHatter]

“Pakistan is looking for an honourbale and amicable solution of in line with the demands of its parliament,”

Translation: We're trying to squeeze every last penny out, now while we can, because after NATO withdraws our retirement funds are jeopardy.

[Stitch]

I SUPPOSE we could pull everything out of there using C-5's & C-17's, but I'm sure it would be prohibitively expensive to do that, a lot more than paying the 'Stans to use their roads.

[n21]

I SUPPOSE we could pull everything out of there using C-5's & C-17's, but I'm sure it would be prohibitively expensive to do that, a lot more than paying the 'Stans to use their roads.

I guess it would more expensive than the Pakistani route, if you dont consider the "annual bribe" that US pays to Pakistan.

Stop all the CSF, mommy fund, daddy fund to Pakistan and NDN will start looking way cheaper.

[Doktor]

$1.200 instead of preplanned $250/truck can be "subsided" by canceled aid to Pakistan, but the extra time needed?

Are there enough trucks to make the moving in one shot (seriously doubt) or they have to go back and forth? Is that fee ($1.200) for one way or...?

Guys from the logistics in the armies still in A-stan are having hell of a overtime allowances.

[Parihaka]

NATO needs certainty and long term planning in getting it's equipment out. Pakistan provides neither. Even if Pakistan said now it could be moved for free they've left it too late and there's no indication from the past that they wouldn't renege on the deal at the drop of a hat.
In fact I'd guarantee that if Pakistan was chosen, closer to time they'd be demanding lots more.

[YellowFever]

Agree with Pari on this one.

Pakistan is playing the part of a cheap almost over the hill hooker out trying to make every last penny before she becomes irrelevent.

And NATO (more specifically America) is playing the part of a John that thinks he can change her whoring ways.

I am so sick of Pakistan.

[TopHatter]

I SUPPOSE we could pull everything out of there using C-5's & C-17's, but I'm sure it would be prohibitively expensive to do that, a lot more than paying the 'Stans to use their roads.

It would also drastically shorten the airframe life of those birds. Plus I don't think there are enough birds in the world to do the job in the first place.

[troung]

Forget bribes - cut ALL trade, travel and immigration off, boot out the ones here, and freeze all bank accounts. And arm twist other nations to pass sanctions of various sorts.

It would be good to stop being scared of our own shadow and behave like a proper Great Satan.

[TopHatter]

It would be good to stop being scared of our own shadow and behave like a proper Great Satan.

Oh if only. Sometimes I wonder what the world would be like if the United States behaved in exactly the way some people perceive us.