Pakistan says decision on Afghanistan conference is final

[FarCenter]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s decision not to attend a conference on the future of Afghanistan in Germany next week, taken to protest against a Nato cross-border attack that killed 24 soldiers, is final, a foreign ministry official said on Wednesday.

“Of course it’s the final word. Pakistan is not attending,” the official told Reuters, shortly after the German government urged Islamabad to reverse its stand.

Fury over the attack is growing, with more protests across Pakistan and tough editorials in newspapers.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/30/pakistan-says-decision-on-afghanistan-conference-is-final.html

[sad sally]

1. The US depends on support from Pakistan - what happens next?

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Therefore, the Pakistani move is going to affect the NATO operations in Afghanistan, since around half the supplies for US-NATO troops still go via Pakistan. An alternative for the US and NATO will be to rely more on the transit routes of the Northern Distribution Network . But the US and NATO's dependence on the NDN always carried a political price tag - Russia's cooperation.

Moscow is agitated about the US regional policies. The NATO intervention in Libya caused friction, which deepened the Russian angst over the US's perceived lack of seriousness to regard it as equal partner and its cherry-picking or "selective partnership".

Then, there are other specific issues that agitate Moscow: US's push for "regime change" in Syria, the US and NATO appearance in the Black Sea region, continued deployment of US missile defense system, and the push for US military bases in Afghanistan. In addition, Moscow has already begun circling wagons over the US "New Silk Road" initiative and its thrust into Central Asia.

The future of the US-Russia reset remains uncertain. Washington barely disguises its visceral dislike of the prospect of Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin following the presidential election in March next year. Short of bravado, the US and NATO should not brag that they have the NDN option up their sleeve in lieu of the Pakistani transit routes. The Pakistani military knows this, too.

more at:http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/MK29Df02.html?du