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NATO supplies are unlikely lifted anytime soon

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First NATO truck crosses Pakistan border - Yahoo! News

CHAMAN, Pakistan (AP) — The first truck carrying supplies to American and NATO troops in Afghanistan has crossed the Pakistani border after a seven-month closure of the supply routes by Pakistan ended earlier this week.

The reopening is a rare bright spot in relations between the U.S. and Pakistan, which had closed the routes in retaliation for American airstrikes in November that killed 24 Pakistani border troops. Disagreements over issues like American drone strikes and Islamabad's alleged support for Taliban militants still hamper a relationship vital to stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan.

During the closure, the U.S. was forced to use more costly and lengthy routes through the former Soviet Union. After months of back-and-forth negotiation, Pakistan reopened the routes on Tuesday after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apologized for the border deaths.

A paramilitary official at the Chaman border crossing, Fazal Bari, said the first truck moved across the border around noon local time on Thursday. Five hours later, no other trucks had passed.

The Chaman border crossing in the province of Balochistan is one of two used by trucks carrying supplies to Afghanistan. The other, known as the Torkham crossing, is further north in the Khyber Pass, a high mountainous area far from waiting shipments. No crossing was expected there on Thursday.

Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the deadlock over the supply line closure had threatened to hurt Pakistan's relations with NATO member countries. In a statement Thursday he said Pakistan wants to facilitate the drawdown of NATO forces in Afghanistan in order to promote peace and stability there.

The prime minister said Pakistan made it clear that its red-lines should be respected. Pakistan and the U.S. differed over how much the U.S. should pay Pakistan to transit trucks through its territory, as well as Pakistani demands that the U.S. apologize for the deadly November airstrikes. In the end they appeared to compromise with the U.S. issuing an apology but paying no extra transit fees than the $250 per truck that it was previously paying.

In the port city of Karachi, truckers were preparing for the trip. Thousands of trucks and tankers have been stuck at ports in Karachi waiting for the transit ban to be lifted as diplomatic wrangling dragged on.

"Today almost after eight months NATO supply has been started. I am taking NATO cargo to Peshawar where this cargo will be shifted to trailers taking the same to Kabul," said driver Javed Iqbal.

The chairman of Port Qasim, Mohammad Shafi, said Thursday that more than 2,500 NATO containers and vehicles have been held at the facility since the blockade began.

Getting them back on the road will take time, Shafi said, due to paperwork and customs clearance procedures.

"Once we do that, we will be able to let the supplies leave for Afghanistan," he said.

The journey is a perilous one, as the Taliban and other militant groups have threatened to attack supply vehicles in Pakistani territory. Before the closure, hundreds of supply trucks, which travel in convoys, were targeted in different areas of the country.

U.S. officials had expected the first trucks carrying NATO supplies to begin crossing into Afghanistan on Wednesday, but bureaucratic delays held that up.

The reopening could save the U.S. hundreds of millions of dollars, since Pakistan's blockade forced Washington to rely more heavily on a longer, costlier route that leads into Afghanistan through Central Asia. Pakistan is also expected to gain financially, since the U.S. intends to free up $1.1 billion in military aid that has been frozen for the past year.

But the deal carries risks for both governments.

Pakistan is already facing domestic backlash, given rampant anti-American sentiment in the country and the government's failure to force the U.S. to stop drone strikes targeting militants and accede to other demands made by parliament.

President Barack Obama, in the midst of a re-election battle, faces criticism from Republicans who are angry his administration apologized to a country allegedly giving safe haven to militants attacking American troops in Afghanistan.

RIP to the soldiers of Salala
 
And here we are no more than a week later with the supply lines re-oppened.. Great, reliable source.. :rolleyes:

why the arcasm, did you want your soldier to die of hunger and being afraid of talibans all the time

not to forgt the pampers
 
Re: NATO supplies is unlikely lifted anytime soon

As a Nation we should honor the decision of our COAS. And give our 100% support to PA.
 
CHAMAN, Pakistan (AP) — The first truck carrying supplies to American and NATO troops in Afghanistan has crossed the Pakistani border after a seven-month closure of the supply routes by Pakistan ended earlier this week.
Oh! Congratulations, ALCiaDa/Alqaeda is getting fresh supplies through the opening of NATO routes.Looks like that NATO gonna get reason now to stay more years in Afghanistan........:lol:
 
Oh! Congratulations, ALCiaDa/Alqaeda is getting fresh supplies through the opening of NATO routes.Looks like that NATO gonna get reason now to stay more years in Afghanistan........:lol:

Yay ten more years for Pakistan. I heard the Taliban was shocked and outrage by it and will attack Pakistan more.
 
Yay ten more years for Pakistan. I heard the Taliban was shocked and outrage by it and will attack Pakistan more.
So this means they mad at us but happy with USA/NATO by opening the supply lines cuz we didn't wanna open but USA/NATO made us to open for them.So that they can get refreshed supplies too..........:lol:
 
Yay ten more years for Pakistan. I heard the Taliban was shocked and outrage by it and will attack Pakistan more.

to early to rejoice old man , the lines can be closed off just as easily as before
The supply route closure and its after affects has given the military planners in Pakistan a new tested weapon in the fight against americansim

your life line is in our hands and we now know for sure that the NDN is not a viable alternative , so you be careful now
 
to early to rejoice old man , the lines can be closed off just as easily as before
The supply route closure and its after affects has given the military planners in Pakistan a new tested weapon in the fight against americansim

your life line is in our hands and we now know for sure that the NDN is not a viable alternative , so you be careful now


dont need to open up dear!
let them bark, cover the face , attack the base!;)
 
to early to rejoice old man , the lines can be closed off just as easily as before
The supply route closure and its after affects has given the military planners in Pakistan a new tested weapon in the fight against americansim

your life line is in our hands and we now know for sure that the NDN is not a viable alternative , so you be careful now
An apology was the weapon to open it. Ain't that cool?
 
An apology was the weapon to open it. Ain't that cool?

no it wasn’t , finding out that you are really our ***** in this theatre of war is what made us open the route ;) how cool is that ?
 
Yea U right!!! .....USA has to appologize to weaker countries too.Its a very weak weapon......:lol:

A weak weapon that opened it...

no it wasn’t , finding out that you are really our ***** in this theatre of war is what made us open the route ;) how cool is that ?

All you needed was our apology, ain't that really cool? I mean I see all these Pakistani posts expressing outrage over this. Over opening the borders over a word. That tells you something.

no it wasn’t , finding out that you are really our ***** in this theatre of war is what made us open the route ;) how cool is that ?

All you needed was our apology, ain't that really cool? I mean I see all these Pakistani posts expressing outrage over this. Over opening the borders over a word. That tells you something.
 
All you needed was our apology, ain't that really cool? I mean I see all these Pakistani posts expressing outrage over this. Over opening the borders over a word. That tells you something.

what all this has made clear that you have no viable alternative for the supply that goes through Pakistan , we closed it off after the attack on our troops and kept it closed till the jokers in the pentagon got down from their high horse.
The closing and opening of the routes is in our control not yours and we now know that should the US get belligerent towards Pakistan then route closure will bring the US to the table within 8 months
You can continue to blame us, for no good reason, for each of the 3000+ casualties you have taken and continue to take in afghanistan, that doesn’t hurt us and we quite frankly don’t care but should you try any adventurism against Pakistan then we now have just the right weapon ( a tested on at that ) that will not just stop you in your tracks but will bring you to the negotiation table.
You mind your own business and keep getting killed in afghanistan , that’s just fine and dandy , you turn your gun at us and we will shut down your supply again and send you further down a few billions , keep repeating this cycle and you'll be buried in afghanistan forever , which may not be such a bad outcome after all
 
A weak weapon that opened it...
but the real powerful weapon behind this weak weapon is $$$$$$$$$.........:lol:

All you needed was our apology, ain't that really cool? I mean I see all these Pakistani posts expressing outrage over this. Over opening the borders over a word. That tells you something.
Hey! U absolutely right!!!! it is really cool and we liked that coolness and needz that coolness happens again in future....:) .......Tell the dear PENTAGON, next time kill at least 100 of our soldiers and military officers and give another apology and that would be cool again. another thing U guyz have another best option as well, kill the damn b@$trd Aimul Zawahiri ,show that he was hiding near the GHQ Rawalpindi.......it gonna be more than cool but cold and freezing cuz its too hot nowadayz and we need some ice.Hey best of luck this time again........:lol:
 
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