US plans Central Asian Supply Route
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/wo...nted=1&_r=1&hp
Quote:
WASHINGTON — The United States and NATO are planning to open and expand supply lines through Central Asia to deliver fuel, food and other goods to a military mission in Afghanistan that is expected to grow by tens of thousands of troops in the months ahead, according to American and alliance diplomats and military officials.
The plan to open new paths through Central Asia reflects an American-led effort to seek out a more reliable alternative to the route from Pakistan through the strategic Khyber Pass, which was closed by Pakistani security forces on Tuesday as they launched an offensive against militants in the region.
The militants have shown they can threaten shipments through the pass into Afghanistan, burning cargo trucks and American Humvees over recent weeks. More than 80 percent of the supplies for American and allied forces in Afghanistan now flow through Pakistan.
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This will be interesting to watch how both Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia reacts. The United States obviously doesn't feel Pakistan has the man-power to safely protect US supplies and their recent scuffle with India doesn't help. Central Asia may be a hot spot in the near future due to its gas reserves and Russia's and China's want to exploit that so a intensifying of United States influence and maybe even militant Islamic to counter the supply lines will throw more fuel into the fire.