NATO Explores Alternatives to Khyber Pass, No Good Options

[tekisui]

http://news.antiwar.com/2008/12/09/nato-explores-alternatives-to-khyber-pass-no-good-options/

After a series of major attacks on vehicles in Peshawar supply depots meant for international forces in Afghanistan, The Pakistani government’s seriousness about protecting the vital Khyber Pass route to Afghanistan, through which 75% of all supplies for the Afghanistan war effort pass, are in growing doubt. Yesterday’s attack, the third in just over 24 hours, hit a poorly guarded supply depot, and managed to destroy 150 vehicles without any of the watchmen on the scene seeing anything.

The danger on the route is leading NATO to explore other alternatives for supplying its forces in Afghanistan. Unfortunately for them, the dangerous and remote Khyber Pass has been an historically important trade and supply route for a reason, and few practical alternatives exist. One proposal would ship the supplies into Georgia, transport them by rail to Azerbaijan, across the Caspian Sea by boat, and then across Turkmenistan by road.

Russia provides another alternative route, and has already agreed to allow Spain and Germany to use their territory for supplies. But a land route across Europe and through Russia is long, inconvenient, and gives Russia another bargaining chip as relations with the alliance worsen.

more....

[baldguy]

1. And that's why they call it a "pass".

People have been looking for a way through those mountains for 4000 yrs, and that's what they found.

[derby378]

7. Look for the research paper to be published in this month's issue of DUH

It's so wild! Were they hoping to find a hidden goat pass like the one at Thermopylae? :rofl:

[screembloodymurder]

2. What are we doing there?

Afghanistan bankrupted the USSR even without the logistical problems. Why do we continue to throw money into this bottomless pit?

[tekisui]

3. We need to get out of Afghanistan NOW!

Declare bin Laden dead, and pull out.

[lovuian]

4. they are screwed and those poppy fields are going to

be owned by someone else

ya gotta love it

Bush's lose their opium source

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. So I guess it's Carry On Up The Khyber

which was always the best of the series: http://www.britmovie.co.uk/genres/carryon/filmography/001.html

[shadowknows69]

6. Way to think that one through NATO

You don't have ONE FUCKING SUPPLY ROUTE that is vital to a war effort. If it gets shut down, war over. Simple as that.

[tekisui]

8. Yeah, the US is trying to play this off like it's not a big deal: