Pakistan decides to reopen major supply route for NATO forces

[maddezmom]

Source: CNN

CNN) -- The Pakistani government on Saturday announced its decision to reopen the Khyber Pass border into Afghanistan for NATO supply convoys.

"After assessing the security situation in all its aspects, the government has decided to reopen the NATO/ISAF supply from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Torkham with immediate effect," the government said in a statement.

"Our relevant authorities are now in the process of coordinating with authorities on the other side of the border to ensure smooth resumption of the supply traffic."

A U.S. military official earlier told CNN that the decision was anticipated Pakistan, but full traffic is not expected until Monday


Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/09/pakistan.supply.route/

[Nancy Waterman]

1. That is good news

But it shows how vulnerable our efforts in Afghanistan are are to the Pakistanis.

[bemildred]

2. I wonder who caved in, them or us?

The future number of drone strikes might offer a clue.

[Poll_Blind]

3. Expect a low-key announcement about additional aid to Pakistan within 2-3 weeks.

The Pakistani government holds almost all the cards on this one, including all the Taliban face cards. These attacks were to show the U.S. that it moves through Pakistan at the pleasure of the Pakistani government and nothing more. And now that the U.S. has upset the Pakistani government, this reopening of the crossings (and the apology a few days ago from the U.S., after which more tankers were still destroyed) is a humbling reminder to the Yanks about who owns the stadium in which their little games are played. And that stadium's use has become more expensive for forgetting that.

The Pakistani government has the Taliban on speed dial and it did not take long for these attacks to begin on both routes (Northwestern and Southwestern). To me that says the Taliban is not only alive and kicking, it's armed to the teeth and waiting for the go-ahead, at least inside Pakistan.

This should also be a smelling-salts moment for all of you reading this out there that should things in Afghanistan or Pakistan just go to absolute shit, they're going to go from bad to worse with a kind of shocking rapidity which we're not used to.

PB

[cosmicone]

4. We need to read Pakistan the riot act like Richard Armitage

did to Musharraf and made Musharraf bow down and agree to all the terms.

In the end, Pakistan cannot survive the enmity of the US and they know it.

Their playing cards are trumped by what we have. Their stadium exists at the pleasure of the US.


On Edit -- the ONLY way to create peace in Afghanistan and bring our troops home is to severely weaken the Pakistani military and dismantle the ISI. As long as the two exist, they will keep playing the Taliban card. Let's take the whole deck away from them.

[Prometheus Bound]

5. "Pakistan cannot survive the enmity of the US and they know it."

Could you pursue that? Do you mean because of economic consequences, military consequences, both or others?

[cosmicone]

6. Richard Armitage with just one phone call

was able to make Pakistan bow to America's wishes. (From Musharraf's book)

Richard Armitage later denied that he ever threatened Pakistan.

However, since Pakistan is heavily dependent on financial as well as military aid, is in an internal turmoil with spearatist movements in Sindh and Baluchistan, Pakistan desperately needs the US. As much as I hated GWB, he played Pakistan right although he didn't go far enough.

Now, Pakistani military is playing us like a fiddle and accomplishing all their goals while maintaining their terrorist infrastructure and building up an arsenal to use against India at US Taxpayers' expense.

Sad indeed.