Pakistan blinks, reopens NATO supply routes

[drkrn]

i don't know whether its true or not but if they open lines without formal apology from America opposition and people will eat the govt alive

 

[ejazr]

Looks like 17 May is the expected date for the announcement

@drkrn
When the Army backs that decision, nothing will happen. IMO, the army will also come out with an excuse to support the opening of NATO supply routes. CAse in point is the Raymond Davis case and the OBL raid. What happened after that? Nothing much at the end of the day


Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
To most Pakistanis, Salala was a deliberate act of 'punishment' meted out by the Pentagon for failing to cooperate or playing 'double games' as it is repeatedly alleged by US officials and media

Will Pakistan be able to attend the NATO summit in Chicago? And if yes, then on what terms and conditions? Monday morning in Islamabad will begin with considerable feverish anxiety around these two questions.

A tripartite commission consisting of NATO's commander in Afghanistan, General Allen, and the military chiefs of Pakistan and Afghanistan kept on meeting in Rawalpindi on Saturday and Sunday to brainstorm the border control measures and how untoward incidents like the Salala tragedy of November 26 can be avoided. It is expected that the Defence Cabinet Committee (DCC) will meet, with PM Gilani in the chair on May15 and 16 and some analysts predict that Pakistan will be announcing opening the NATO supply route on May 17.

The public argument shaped by the US interlocutors, diplomats and media, and something that has been wholeheartedly bought by many in the Pakistani government and the opinion making circles is that Pakistan overplayed its hand, ended up using its trump card, i.e. 'NATO supplies', and has not gained anything in return and is now forced to resume what is described as GLOC's under NATO's ultimatum because missing the Chicago summit means being kicked out of the important decision making in the endgame of Afghanistan. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen's press briefing of last Friday has added to this gloomy interpretation. Many are also worried for the imminent shortfalls in the forthcoming budget and point out that the ministry of finance has already added CSF reimbursements into its calculations. The much calculated posturing by the US House of Representatives that recommends various kinds of sanctions against Pakistan, including those involving preferential imports, certainly focuses minds on the forthcoming challenges if the impasse is not resolved before Chicago.

Since the approval of the parliamentary committee's recommendations, the whole media discourse is built around two main points only: the US apology for Salala and end of drone strikes. Going by this, it appears that these are the only two sticking points. However, sometimes it is important to revisit the fundamentals of a problem before you could be sure of the solutions.

So let's take a step back. Why is the Salala tragedy that led to the closure of the NATO supply routes so nerve wracking for Pakistanis? No doubt, the chilling details of the incident that appeared like an orgy of blood played with the lives of Pakistani soldiers jolted an already traumatised nation. But coming in the climate shaped by the US attack of May 2 to kill Osama bin Laden, it convinced many that the US or perhaps more specifically, the Pentagon in its desperation in Afghanistan, and the way it builds its public narrative, has reached a stage where it sees a certain kind of solution in punishing Pakistan. Arguments like the one advanced by Professor Stephen Krasner of Stanford only confirm this mood.

It's true that the US side explains Salala as a horrible outcome of mistakes in procedures and communication, but to most Pakistanis, Salala was a deliberate act of 'punishment' meted out by the Pentagon for failing to cooperate or playing 'double games' as it is repeatedly alleged by US officials and media. Pakistan's robust decision to close NATO supplies was to jolt the US and its allies into a rethink. The US may or may not realise that its actions are adding to societal meltdown and collapse in Pakistan. This resultant chaos may or may not hurt the US and its regional allies like India, but will definitely destroy the equilibrium of a political and social order where the majority sees the ruling elite kowtowing to US dictation and where the military establishment has lost much of its moral authority since the events of 9/11 when it unwillingly became a partner in the US-led war against terrorism. From the US narrative, it is obvious that, in their singular obsession with the endgame in Afghanistan, they have either no realisation of how their actions are adding to a societal meltdown in Pakistan or they don't care. But for Pakistanis it matters.

It is in this scenario that the discussions of this tripartite commission on Saturday and Sunday and the understandings reached and conveyed between General Allen, General Kayani and General Karimi become supremely important.

'Apology' started to loom large after the parliamentary committee's recommendations. But before that Pakistan's foreign minister and foreign secretary were on record insisting, in the most unambiguous terms, that we were not seeking an apology; what we want is the US to understand Pakistan's red lines and to respect them. By now, we also know for sure that by the beginning of February, some sort of apology was being offered and the Pakistani foreign ministry wanted this to be postponed until the end of the parliamentary review.

The test for the DCC to which General Kayani will report his findings after his meetings will be to assess if Pakistan and the US agree to the wording of a joint statement where the latter affirms that it understands Pakistani concerns arising from the tragedy of Salala; that it respects Pakistani sovereignty and that both sides are determined to work with procedures and communication protocols that will ensure that incidents like Salala do not recur. Pakistan, in the same statement, will need to ensure that it understands the US concerns in FATA and will do everything possible to reduce the misuse of its territory against US troops.

But this assurance is impossible without coming to some sort of understanding on the issue of drone strikes with the US for its narrative describes Pakistan as either unwilling or unable to control the action against its troops from FATA. The US military and administration, now victims of their narratives, will not be able to sell at home a total cessation of drone strikes, especially in an election year.

In the last few weeks, the US has tried, for the first time, accepting responsibility for the drone strikes. First, President Obama made an admission and then his national security adviser, John Brennan, attempted adding moral justifications to the policy in his presentation at the Woodrow Wilson Centre. The sheer ugliness and perhaps immorality of the drone policy requires several doctoral theses from different perspectives, but in a real politic framework, it compels Pakistan to come forward and accept responsibility for permitting limited drone strikes.

Without such an admission, it cannot ask for a framework of mutual intelligence sharing and a modicum of control on this policy. A jointly agreed framework may ensure fewer strikes, a more defined focus on al Qaeda, and can work towards a cessation timetable since Obama has defined his goal as the end of al Qaeda, which he again repeated at his speech from Bagram Airbase on May 2, 2012. After all, in the ever raging debate on drone strikes, no one has raised this question so far that irrespective of all sorts of arguments for and against, could this continue till eternity? However, this vexing question and what kind of language is needed on this issue, will confront the DCC with its biggest nightmare, especially given parliament's reaffirmed position.

But any understanding to make any sense on this tricky and emotive issue will be incomplete without tying it with the Afghanistan endgame. How do we interpret what President Obama described for the first time as "negotiated peace" and how will this be supported by neighbours, including Pakistan? After all, isn't the summit in Chicago about Afghanistan and its endgame?

Without any clarity on these issues, the optics of Chicago may become meaningless for Pakistan. Though in a mood of desperation no one dares to ask the common sense question: will in our absence the Chicago summit not have a hole as large as the size of Pakistan in terms of the final solutions related to the withdrawal from Afghanistan?
But while the DCC grapples with these difficult questions, intractable solutions and their inevitable political fallout, it may benefit tremendously from keeping this common sense question in mind. Options never end; you have to keep finding them.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

I don't think supply lines were ever closed this may have been a political stunt for
the Pakistani elections.

 

[sukhish]

as per the latest information, what pakistan is seeking is the left out equipment of the nato after the their pullout. this is going to be very dangerous.
U.S creates the mess and leaves the military equipment behind to be used by the pakistanis.

 

[ejazr]

I don't think supply lines were ever closed this may have been a political stunt for
the Pakistani elections.

The Ground lines of communications (G-LOCS) were definitely closed. The ALOCs (Air lines) were still open and overflight cargo still is taking place. But GLOCs are much much cheaper than ALOCs

All the recent pressure on cutting aid and the non-invitation of Pakistan in the Chicago NATO summit IMO was designed to pressure the opening of GLOCs

And with the NATO summit this week, and the ISAF -Pak Army meet this weekend, it looks like these GLOCs will be opened up

 

[Ray]

Has Pakistan any options?

 

[utubekhiladi]

select the best title for this news.

1) Bakistan to consider reopening NATO supplies
.............................or..........................................
2) Bakistan is Desperate to reopen NATO supplies for foreign aid.

 

[ejazr]

Noises being made to open NATO supplies. What did I tell ya!

US and Pakistan make up. Will supply route to Afghanistan reopen? - CSMonitor.com

Pakistan signaled Monday it is ready to pull relations with the US out of the deep freeze – though the US has not yielded to key Pakistani demands. The result may be a reopening of a supply route through Pakistan for the Afghanistan war.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

NATO Invites Pakistan to Summit

NATO Invites Pakistan to Summit - ABC News

NATO will invite Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to the alliance's summit in Chicago, after the country's foreign minister proposed reopening its Afghan border to NATO military supplies, officials said Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said Pakistan was being invited to the May 20-21 summit along with a number of other non-NATO nations. These include countries that contribute to the NATO-led force, nations from the region, as well as Japan and several international organizations. About 60 countries and organizations are expected to be represented.

"This meeting will underline the strong commitment of the international community to the people of Afghanistan and to its future," Lungescu said. "Pakistan has an important role to play in that future."

The supply route through Pakistan has been closed for nearly six months in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani troops. This forced NATO to reorient its entire logistics chain to more expensive routes across Russia and Central Asia.

The routes through Pakistan are seen as vital as NATO begins to pull out of Afghanistan.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Monday that Islamabad had made the right decision to close the border but the situation could now change.

"It was important to make a point. Pakistan has made a point and now we can move on," Khar said at a news conference in Islamabad when asked whether she believed Pakistan should reopen the supply route.

But officials noted that despite the positive signals, the supply routes have not yet been restored. A NATO diplomat speaking on usual condition of anonymity said the invitation to Zardari was meant as an inducement to the government in Islamabad to reopen the borders.

In Kabul, Afghanistan's deputy foreign minister Jawed Ludin said there are "some positive signs from Pakistan."

"It may be resolved today or tomorrow, but as it stands, it's still unresolved," Ludin told reporters on Tuesday.

 

[nitesh]

What a love story, both can not live without each other.

 

[ejazr]

Nato invites Pakistan to Chicago summit, Pakistan hints at opening of NATO lines

Nato invites Pakistan to Chicago summit | DAWN.COM

BRUSSELS: Nato says it will invite Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to the alliance's summit in Chicago, after the country's foreign minister proposed reopening its Afghan border to Nato military supplies.

Spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said Tuesday the summit on May 20-21 will underline the international community's commitment to the future of Afghanistan and that Pakistan has an important role to play in that future.

Supply routes through Pakistan have been closed for nearly six months in retaliation for US air-strikes that killed 24 Pakistani troops.

This forced Nato to reorient its entire logistics chain through Russia and Central Asia.

The routes through Pakistan are seen as vital as Nato begins to pull out of Afghanistan.

 

[Virendra]

So finally the biatch is 'for Sale' again

 

[Apollyon]

the question that trick me always, who pays for the Ticket ...

 

[Yusuf]

Pak blinks on Afghanistan routes, gets Nato invite for talks

Made my day. !!!

All Ghairat gone. Looks like they have completely exhausted all their previously given aid money and they have no other way. Over to the duffers in Pak

____________________________________________


WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan won for itself an invitation to the Nato summit in Chicago this weekend to discuss the future of Afghanistan after Islamabad signaled that it was standing down from its confrontation with Washington and re-opening US/Nato supply routes.

Pakistan indicated that it might review its decision on Nato blockade that has put its relations with not "only US but another 42 countries' ' in a tailspin. "It's not a matter of one, but 43 countries," Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was quoted as telling journalists in Islamabad.

Nato responded immediately by announcing that the organization has decided to invite President Asif Ali Zardari to Chicago for the summit , which will include contributor nations, as well as Japan, Russia, other countries from the region and international organizations.
Nato secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who had earlier indicated Pakistan would be left out of the proceedings if it did not back down from the blockade, phoned Zardari on Tuesday to invite him. "This meeting will underline the strong commitment of the international community to the people of Afghanistan and to its future. Pakistan has an important role to play in that future ," Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said.

But Zardari's spokesman Farhatullah Babar maintained that the invitation was unconditional and not linked to the reopening of Nato routes. In Islamabad, Pakistani cabinet's defence committee meeting was seen as an attempt to prepare ground for a possible decision to lift the blockade.

A meeting of Pakistan army's corps commanders was called a day later wherein army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani is likely to take the corps commanders into confidence over a possible resumption of Nato supplies. Pakistan's petroleum ministry officials met owners of oil tanker in Islamabad in anticipation of the breakthrough.

Pak blinks on Afghanistan routes, gets Nato invite for talks - The Times of India

 

[Ray]

As I said in a similar thread - Has Pakistan any options?

For them, US tells them:

One two buckle my shoe
Three, four, knock at the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, a big fat hen.

And Pakistan does!

 

[ejazr]

Yes along expected lines.

Can we combined all NATO summit and supply lines thread for ease of discussion

http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/...summit-pakistan-hints-opening-nato-lines.html

http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/pakistan/36267-nato-invites-pakistan-summit.html

http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/...chicago-summit-hinged-nato-supply-routes.html

 

[ejazr]

Pakistan seeks $5,000 transit fee for each NATO container - The Washington Post

 

[devgupt]

The whore is haggling over her price

 

[utubekhiladi]

Pakistan seeks $5,000 transit fee for each NATO container (begging bowl continues)

MOD/ADMIN : this is a different topic with a different subject. no thread merge is required.

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani negotiators have proposed a fee of about $5,000 for each NATO shipping container and tanker that transits its territory by land into and out of Afghanistan.

The amount is a key sticking point in discussions about the terms of a deal that would allow the traffic to resume, about six months after Pakistan closed its border crossings, according to U.S. and Pakistani officials.

The two countries are allies but their relationship has been plagued by mistrust over the last 50 years.

Officials said Tuesday that a deal was imminent, after they reached agreement in principal on reopening the transit corridors. But the details are being negotiated.

"The framework is ready, but we are now looking at rates," a Pakistani official said.

A U.S. official emphasized that the United States has not agreed to any figure.

According to officials from both countries, who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the closed-door negotiations here, Pakistan proposed the figure after calculating its total outlays for damaged infrastructure — primarily wear and tear on its roads from the heavy vehicles — as well as security costs and a new tariff.

Pakistani officials said they had also taken into account their belief that NATO, by using alternative, far longer transport routes through Central Asia, is paying at least double the amount they have requested.

Nonetheless, the notion of payment for using what are known as the Pakistani GLOCs, for Ground Lines of Communication, has been difficult for the Pentagon to swallow, because access previously was considered free. But other U.S. officials have pointed out that the United States has given Pakistan billions over the past decade as compensation for its counterterrorism efforts. That money is expected to be discontinued as the new arrangements are put in place.

Pakistan says it is still owed more than $3 billion for past operations; the United States puts the figure at about $1.3 billion.

The transport agreement is being considered as a matter separate from other aspects of the bilateral security relationship, including Pakistan's rejection of U.S. drone attacks on militants inside its borders. Discussions on that issue are continuing between senior intelligence officials.

Pakistan closed its borders to the shipments after a U.S. air raid in November along the Afghan border left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead. A U.S. military investigation concluded that both sides were at fault, and the United States expressed regret. But Pakistan called it an unprovoked attack and demanded an apology.

Before the closures, more than 70 percent of NATO's supplies in Afghanistan — largely paid for and utilized by the United States — traveled over land from the Pakistani port of Karachi. The route has become even more important to U.S. and coalition forces as they begin the combat troop withdrawal scheduled for completion by the end of 2014.

The pullout will be discussed at a NATO summit in Chicago this weekend. The alliance invited Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to the summit this week once it became clear that a transit agreement was near.

Some analysts here speculated that Zardari might wait to announce in Chicago any new deal with NATO. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's unwieldy cabinet — 53 ministers in all — took up the matter but ended the day with no decision except to reinforce the Parliament's recommendation that shipments contain no weaponry or lethal supplies.

U.S. officials noted that the parliamentary recommendations being debated referred only to nonlethal supplies traveling into Afghanistan but proposed no such restriction on outgoing goods.

Although Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told reporters after the Wednesday meeting that "no decision on NATO supplies will be made under any pressure," the government here is eager to resolve the issue, which has left thousands of containers sitting in lots near two border crossings and idled countless Pakistani transport and other workers.

DeYoung reported from Washington.

Pakistan seeks $5,000 transit fee for each NATO container - The Washington Post

 

[utubekhiladi]

$5000 for each container what about all the free money given by usa to these bakistan. these amount has to be accounted somewhere right?

lets see how much uncle sam has given to bakistan so far; the below graph is a pure liquid cash. f-16's, bofors, p3i orions and other free military hardware is not accounted here. plus, not to forget that americans are cleaning their back yard.