US now less dependent on Pak for Afghan supply route: report

Washington: The US is now less dependent on Pakistan for supply of cargo for its troops fighting Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Afghanistan, a Congressional report said today, amid a standoff between Washington and Islamabad over supplies through the country. The Senate committee report said that only 29 percent of the total Afghan cargo supply now goes through Pakistan; which about an year ago was nearly 50 percent. Islamabad has closed the crucial NATO supply route from Pakistan after the 26 November airstrikes that killed 24 of  its soldiers. [caption id=“attachment_160439” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Since 2009, the US has steadily increased traffic on the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a major logistical accomplishment. Reuters”] [/caption] “An estimated 40 percent of all cargo transits the NDN (Northern Distribution Network), 31 percent is shipped by air, and the remaining 29 percent goes through Pakistan. An estimated 70 percent of cargo transiting the NDN enters Afghanistan via Uzbekistan’s Hairaton Gate,” the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said. Since 2009, the US has steadily increased traffic on the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a major logistical accomplishment. According to US Transportation Command, close to 75 percent of ground sustainment cargo is now shipped via the NDN, it said. As a result of increasing dependence on NDN for supply of logistics and cargo to its troops in Afghanistan, Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee emphasised that there was a need to build relationship with the Central Asia countries. “Central Asia matters. Its countries are critical to the outcome in Afghanistan and play a vital role in regional stability. As we reassure our partners that our relationships and engagement in Afghanistan will continue after the military transition in 2014, we should underscore that we have long-term strategic interests in the broader region,” Kerry said. “Pakistan’s internal dynamics may have the most profound impact on the conflict, but Central Asian countries provide military supply routes for non-lethal cargo and participate actively in reconstruction,” he said. “The Obama Administration has advanced a comprehensive regional agenda to build on these cooperative efforts. As the United States enters a new phase of engagement in Afghanistan, we must lay the foundation for a long-term strategy that sustains our security gains and protects US interests,” he said “This long-term strategy is dependent upon striking a balance between meeting our security needs and promoting political and economic reform in Central Asia and the region.” The report “Central Asia and the Transition in Afghanistan” is based on an October 2011 field visit by the Committee’s majority staff to Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan as well as extensive staff meetings with experts and policymakers. Among its key recommendations are striking a balance between security and political priorities in Central Asia; translating the New Silk Road (NSR) vision into a working strategy for the broader region beyond Afghanistan and linking the regional Central Asia Counter narcotics Initiative (CACI) with bilateral initiatives that offer traction, given the constraints on regional cooperation. The report also recommends economic assistance for some of the Central Asian nations and investments in English-language training and public-private projects on cross-border electricity, especially as China, Russia, Iran, South Korea, India, Japan and Turkey play bigger roles. PTI