"The first trucks carrying NATO supplies crossed from Pakistan to Afghanistan at the Chaman border crossing on Thursday, after a seven-month blockade of the ground routes (NYT, AP, CNN, AFP, Reuters, BBC). Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar agreed to reopen the supply lines after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called her on Tuesday, and said she was "sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military"" Foreign Policy
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I suppose the reason we did not make this meaningless statement long ago was that Jack Keane was advising generals Mattis and Allen as to the appropriate response. His attitude toward Pakisttan was made clear in the post just below. Pakistan is really as much an adversary in Afghanistan as an ally, but it is nevertheless true that we need the supply routes just now being re-opened. Without them the force in Afghanistan is relying on a "crazy quilt" of routes through the former Soviet Union that are costing us even more than the routes through Pakistan. With withdrawal about to begin, the movement of heavy equipment to the port of Karachi over Pakistan's roads will be even more critical.
I am curious as to what else the Pakistanis received in return for their acceptance of this delayed apology. How much trhey are now charging us in fees for the passage of our cargo. Have the fees gone up? pl
http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/07/05/first_nato_trucks_cross_pakistani_border
What else did the Pakistanis receive? That's one of the secrets that this administration will jealously guard. They sure are bending over backwards and breaking out the Thesaurus in their denials that this is a real apology.
Posted by: The Twisted Genius | 05 July 2012 at 09:54 AM
The official Pakistani announcement says that no fees are being levied on trucks carrying supplies to ISAF (presumably none were being levied before the closure also).
What Pakistan gets in return is the restarting of US payments to compensate it for its operations in FATA, and US aid under the Kerry-Lugar act.
One of the conditions Pakistan has laid down is that only 'non-lethal' supplies will be transported through Pakistan. On the other hand there were earlier news reports that, even during the closure, Pakistan was allowing US overflights carrying 'lethal' supplies. Presumably this condition is for internal consumption (a recent PEW Research poll found that 80% of Pakistanis have an 'unfavourable' opinion of the US, while a whopping 74% consider it an outright 'enemy'!).
Posted by: FB Ali | 05 July 2012 at 10:43 AM
I am in touch regularly with a well placed and well-informed retired Brigadier in Rawalpindi Intimately familiar with the political and institutional circumstances, he is quite sure that there were other considerations involved. When specific are available, I'll relay them. They probably concern Pakistan's role in the negotiations accompanying our extraction. That is Pakistan's strategic interest - not who will pay for the broken roads we'll leave behind.
More generally, it's all about what happens when we've retreating to our Raj Bhavan embassy complex in Kabul and all hell breaks loose. Only Washingtonians pretend that some sort of chimerical mission accomplishment is still on the horizon. Fantasy spring eternal.
Posted by: brenner | 05 July 2012 at 01:27 PM
I've never understood the neocon desire to alienate as many nations as possible (as well as actually fighting wars against as many nations as possible) all at the same time. I'm no military strategist, but even I know that you'd want to face opponents one at a time.
Posted by: HankP | 05 July 2012 at 02:03 PM
My memory may be failing me, but I seem to recall that initially Pakistan was demanding that we stop the drone strikes in their country as a condition of reopening traffic, or at least that we cede control of targeting for those strikes, and that we were refusing to do so. Now that program is not any part of the traffic negotiation. Am I mistaken?
Posted by: Bill H | 05 July 2012 at 02:18 PM
One comment made was that the U.S. had to pay the 250.00 fee for each container that was transported through alternative delivery routes during the shutdown.
As pure conjecture, I can see backdoor aid being delivered free of any cost to the Paki's such as, parts and support for the F-16s, banking services for the elites to move their graft moneys about without being disturbed, extra visas and spots at Ivy League schools for Paki elites, etc etc. There are many ways to pay for the privilege of using the the Paki land routes. The Paki's are not going to give anything away with the end of big Golden Eggs in sight.
Posted by: Peter | 05 July 2012 at 02:29 PM
Never mind accomplishment according to Gen Jack Keane the mission will continue indefinitely with 25,000 souls in Afghanistan, ergo, celebrations can be delayed until mission's actual end.
Posted by: Charles I | 06 July 2012 at 10:18 AM
Bet the Pakistani fuel mafia has a point of view too.
Posted by: Charles I | 06 July 2012 at 10:20 AM
This is an interesting Pakistani article on the subject. Note the Afghan Taliban wants the route reopened because they need the money.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/403868/nato-supply-resumption-a-boon-for-afghan-taliban/
Posted by: bth | 07 July 2012 at 10:35 AM
What else did the Pakistanis receive? That's one of the methods that this management will jealously secure. They sure are flexing over in reverse and splitting out the Database in their returns that this is a actual apology.
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