Thoughts on a secondary supply route to Afghanistan

[Colin Parkinson]

The problem I see for Pakistan is that it’s really 4 different countries barely held together. Balochistan in the south has been somewhat pacified for now. Punjab is the breadbasket of the country and is closer to India in thinking (aside from religion), there is theSindh in the South which is the economic centre of the country (30% tax revenue. Then there is the tribal areas, NWF, FATA, Other than Punjab the rest don’t seem to have much in common with the hard core Taliban and if the Taliban (and friends) continue bombing the rest of Pakistan, any sympathy will melt fairly quickly. As noted in other countries when the Jihadist target Muslim civilians the population turns on them fairly quickly. I hope that the rest of Pakistan tires of the antics of the tribal areas and forces changes or threatens to cut them loose. 

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Withdraw logistic support to US troops, Imran urges

PAN Monitor - Sep 15, 2008 - 12:50

KABUL (PAN): Pakistan's cricketer-turned-politician has called for a stop to logistic support to US-led coalition and NATO troops stationed in Afghanistan if they continue with border violations and killing of civilians.

Pakistani people were being killed to appease foreign masters, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said, alleging that residents of tribal areas and Swat were being massacred in compliance with the dictates of the United States.

He told a news conference in Peshawar on Sunday: The best way to compel the allied forces to halt border violations in the so-called hot pursuit of al-Qaeda and Taliban is to stop logistic support.

In order to ensure Pakistan's sovereignty and integrity, the outspoken former cricket star urged the government of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) to abandon the policy of ex-president Pervez Musharraf.

He remarked: The rulers have owned a war that is being fought for others interests. Own people are being killed to appease the foreign masters. The tribesmen in FATA and Swat are being killed on the directives of the US and its allies.

Attacks on the army and other law-enforcement agencies were a direct reaction to the killing of innocent tribesmen. He was quoted as saying by The News that the blood of Pakhtuns was being shed under a conspiracy hatched by the Americans.

PAN Monitor/mud
http://www.pajhwak.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=62046

 

[jollyjacktar]

This weak link in the supply chain is starting to get expensive.  The sooner they can remedy the route the better.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/12/07/pakistan.html

 

[George Wallace]

>

Perhaps a little incentive should be given to the Pakistanis responsible for security of these vehicles.  Perhaps the cost of replacement vehicles being deducted from their meagre pay would help.  With any job comes responsibility.  These people would fight to the death to protect something which is theirs.  Wages paid by NATO, the US, and other nations are just easy money for these people, for which they don't feel they need to do any work, nor have any responsibility for.  If on the other hand, it was a job that relied on their "Honour" then things may be a bit different.

 

[axeman]

I hear you on that  way back when in 94 i was working with a malyasian batttalion MALBAT.  and when speaking to a 12 yr vet of their army . he was b@@@ing about how the country collected all the UN pay and continued to pay them reg wages  with no incentives for being in the hot of it .  So imposing the idea that NATO / co-allation countries are paying for the base. Why doesnt the host country do something to actully protect their investment ....or are they actully in cahoots with them  > 

 

[Fabius]

These attacks are in my opinion an interesting shift in the Talibans tactics. Unless it was completely unreported the targeting of the NATO supply lines is a relatively new feature (only 3-4 months old) of the war. If the situation continues to worsen it will be interesting to see what preasure develops on Pakistan to use its military to provide constant security to the convoys, the port and the Kyber Pass itself.
An interesting question, how susceptible will the proposed alternate route through Russia and the Northern Stans be to the same sort of attacks. It will not be as close to the tribal base that supports the overall Taliban movement and the governments are not as prone to turning a blind eye but it may be that, that route will also eventually become targeted.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

They have been attacking the convoys, but this is the first major attack further down the supply line. I shows the spread of the Taliban into regions they previously did not have much influence.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I sure hope they have firmed up other options, unless the pakistanni army is willing to guard the entire route the costs of lost equipment is going to skyrocket, not to mention most miltaries other than the US cannot afford to lose a fair percentage of their armoured vehicles.


Taliban destroy 50 NATO supply trucks in third attack in Peshawar
By Bill RoggioDecember 8, 2008 12:27 PM
Taliban raiders destroyed another NATO supply column at a shipping terminal in the insurgency-wracked Northwest Frontier Province. The latest attack has caused Pakistan to shut down the NATO supply route through Peshawar.

The Taliban launched an attack on the Bilal Terminal on Peshawar's Ring Road early Monday morning Pakistan time. More than 50 vehicles laden with supplies destined for NATO were destroyed after a Taliban force stormed the compound and burned the vehicles, a senior US intelligence source told The Long War Journal. The size of the Taliban unit is unknown.

Taliban fighters also fired rocket propelled grenades at NATO convoys passing through the area, however no vehicles were reported damaged.

The attack at the Bilal Terminal is the third such strike in two days. Early Sunday, the Taliban destroyed more than 160 NATO vehicles, including an estimated 60 to 70 Humvees, in two separate attacks on the Portward Logistic Terminal and the Al Faisal Terminal in Peshawar. An estimated 200 to 300 Taliban fighters stormed the Portward terminal, while the size of the attack force at the Al Faisal Terminal is unknown.

Pakistani security forces were not protecting the Bilal Terminal despite yesterday's attacks. The Pakistani government said NATO convoys would be accompanied and protected by Pakistani military units.

A US military spokeswoman described yesterday's attacks in Peshawar as "militarily insignificant." More than 70 percent of NATO supplies destined for Afghanistan move through Peshawar.

Today's attack has prompted the Pakistani government to close down the vital NATO supply route from Peshawar to Kabul, according to Press TV. This is the second time the Khyber Pass supply route has been closed since Nov. 11.

The Pakistani government shut down the vital Khyber Pass crossing two other times this year. The first time, the government closed the crossing to protest US airstrikes against Taliban and al Qaeda operatives sheltering in the tribal areas. The second time was in response to the poor security situation.

The Taliban have stepped up their attacks on NATO supply lines moving through Peshawar over the past several months. The Taliban are also stepping up pressure on the Peshawar. Police and government officials fear they have lost control of the security situation in the provincial capital.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/12/taliban_destroy_50_n.php