Special forces logistics in afghanistan army logistics university. The islamic fundamentalist threat to pakistan is reaching frightening proportions as taliban militants boldly attack military headquarters and nato supply routes in and outside of peshawar. During the recent closure of the afghanistanpakistan border, some 10,000 tried to jostle their way through every 24 hours. The northern distribution network and afghanistan csis. Military and economic access to landlocked afghanistan depend on. Pdf pakistan and the geopolitics of supply routes to afghanistan. Northern distribution network ndn center for strategic.
Bringing a supply chain back to life in afghanistan. Popular anger is mounting in pakistan after natos killing of 24 pakistani military personnel in a crossborder airstrike saturday. Shifting supply lines elsewhere would substantially increase the cost of the war and make the united. The us has been increasingly reducing its reliance on pakistan for entering landlocked afghanistan and turning to alternative routes for supplying nato forces. Three of the four main routes pass through russian territory. From their inception, the pakistani supply routes proved unreliable and. Air force has saved hundreds of millions of dollars by changing the way it flies equipment out of afghanistan, using shorter trips to the persian gulf rather than direct routes to the. Geographic and geologic perspectives on centuries of conflict details afghanistans physical geography namely climate, soils, vegetation, water, hazards, and basic geologic background and terrain landforms together with details of its rich natural resources, ethnic problems, and relevant past histories. Defense secretary jim mattis said friday that pakistan was likely to keep open supply routes to u. A map of the nato supply routes out of afghanistan. The development of new northern supply routes into afghanistan, termed the northern. Russia has expressed regret that the main focus of the new afghanistan strategy announced by washington is regulation by methods of forcewe are certain this is a futile course he also rejected americans allegations that moscow was supplying arms to the taliban.
And the demands made on supply routes are expected to increase greatly as heavy materials are moved to afghanistan to build the structures needed for an. Nato has been shifting away from reliance on its supply routes through pakistan in favour of the northern distribution network. While winning the war in afghanistan seems, under the circumstances, mere wishful aspirations, even keeping the deployed troops supplied could soon become a logistical nightmare. The christian science monitor is an international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage via its website, weekly magazine, online daily edition, and email newsletters. An anonymous official told the washington post mattis would deploy an. The afghan forces blocked one of the major supply routes of the taliban group during an operation along the durand line. Popular afghanistan war books goodreads share book.
Following are some facts about the pakistani supply routes for nato forces fighting in afghanistan and the alternatives. Us turns to other routes to supply afghan war as relations. Pakistans other main route into landlocked afghanistan, in chaman in the southeast, stayed open. Nato logistics in the afghan war refers to the efforts of the north atlantic treaty organization to deliver vital fuel, food, hardware and other logistic supplies to afghanistan in support of the war in afghanistan 2001present. Currently, there are two main nato supply routes which cross through pakistan. Afghanistan and considerations of supply war on the rocks. A russian official has proposed severing some parts of the transport corridor nato uses to move soldiers and supplies into afghanistan. Us turns to other routes to supply afghan war as relations with pakistan fray.
To accommodate this increase and address ongoing concerns with pakistani supply lines, u. Alexander the great needed great supply chains scm globe. Taliban attack nato supply routes washington times. However i do disagree with the authors closing line the curtain on this. Routes originate in each of the major baltic ports tallinn in estonia, riga in latvia, and klaipeda in lithuania and continue through belarus. The city of herat in afghanistan was founded by alexander at the start of this campaign to be the main supply depot for his army of some 64,000 troops and about 10,000 cavalry horses. The tribal people who live in the remote borderlands between pakistan and afghanistan are irritated about ongoing intrusions into their territory and way of life. Secures new supply routes to afghanistan a pakistani tank heading toward the outskirts of peshawar.
How the nato supply route closure hit afghan truck drivers. Pakistan closes major nato supply route the boston globe. Now relies on alternate afghan supply routes the pentagon began the northern distribution network at the end of 2008, bypassing pakistan to supply military operations in. This corridor, known as the northern distribution network, is a sprawling web of roads and railways running from northern afghanistan through a host of countries. The west has to take a critical look at itself and examine the apparent double standards at work that allow it to attack iraq for possessing weapons of mass destruction but not north korea, whose leader shared saddam husseins megalomaniacal qualities.
His most recent book is afghanistan from the cold war through the war on terror 20. Linear operations still relevant to contingency sustainment. American forces have been given 15 days to vacate the shamsi airbase in southwestern. Organize trade show participation, purchase space at selected shows, book travel to trade shows, and earn a commission on all of these activities. Nato logistics in the afghan war refers to the efforts of the north atlantic treaty organization to. The supply lines have often been blocked in pakistan owing to differences with nato over issues such as the salala incident and the drone attacks in pakistan. Built in 1964 by the soviets, it was designed to handle 1,000 vehicles a day. Thus we are privileged to see the landscape, the people, and rulers, the events through different eyes.
Us surge in afghanistan threatens wider war 6 january 2009 the us and nato are planning to create new supply lines from the central asian republics to occupation forces in afghanistan. The land supply route supporting isaf through pakistan is already unreliable, forcing. List of books and articles about afghan history online. A cultural and political history by thomas barfield is a learned, detailed, well written book by an anthropologist, not a historian. Mod supply chain to frontline in afghanistyan and libya at critical risk of failure, public acccounts committee finds. In afghanistan and elsewhere, transnational organized crime groups were the main beneficiaries of this extremely profitable trade. In this falsecolor satellite image vegetation appears fluorescent green, urban areas range in color from gray to black, and bare ground varies in color. Truckers in kandahar lost the biggest part of their business when pakistan closed off nato supply routes to afghanistan. Pakistan and the geopolitics of supply routes to afghanistan. Pakistan in the context of nato supply routes to afghanistan. Military looks at supply routes away from pakistan. Afghanistan and considerations of supply center on international. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan.
Pakistan has ordered the united states to move out of an airbase on its territory, after shutting down natos two main overland supply routes into afghanistan. The khyber pass, part of a supply route, lies to the west of the city. Us military weighs options in case pakistan blocks afghan. Logistics operations took place under the auspices of the international security assistance force from 2001 to 2014, then under the resolute support mission from. The provincial government in paktia said the route between kurram agency and dandepathan district in paktia province was blocked during an operation of. Defence supply chain could fail british forces, say mps. In its earliest days, the americanled war in afghanistan appeared to be a triumpha. The massive material withdrawal from afghanistan began monday when almost 50 containers of weapons and equipment began leaving via pakistani supply routes. For a scholarly but very readable history of afghanistan from 1260 on, this is your book. The war in afghanistan, code named operation enduring freedom 200114 and operation freedoms sentinel 2015present, followed the united states invasion of afghanistan of 7 october 2001, when the united states of america and its allies successfully drove the taliban from power in order to deny alqaeda a safe base of operations in afghanistan. The vulnerable line of supply to us troops in iraq. For more than 3,000 years, kabul has occupied a strategic location along central and southern asian trade routes. Pakistan likely to keep open supply routes to afghanistan. The location of afghanistan astride the land routes between the indian subcontinent, iran, and central asia has enticed conquerors throughout history.
Its high mountains, although hindering unity, helped the hill tribes to preserve their independence. Added to this were camp followers equaling maybe another 35,000 people plus pack animals such as camels and horses or mules for pulling wagons and carts. That route is a slender tightrope for thousands of troops to cross. While nato and the united states have alternative supply routes into afghanistan, the pakistani ones are the cheapest and most convenient. Pakistan will reopen supply routes the united states and nato used to supply their troops in afghanistan, u. Us military weighs options in case pakistan blocks afghan supply lines. Pakistan and the geopolitics of supply routes to afghanistan decision to cut the nato supply line, besides disapproving any other overt or covert pakus agreement that does not have the sanction.
President trumps first tweet of 2018 was a surprising and scathing attack on pakistan. Afghan forces block talibans major supply route along. The salang tunnel, which is the main connection between northern and southern afghanistan. Pakistan, considering suspension of nato supply to afghanistan. The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. As result, attacks against nato convoys are on the rise along the few rugged roads between the two. A potential reader should be aware that a substantial part of the book, either because of the authors interest or because of the historical facts that were available to him, involves the great game between great britain and russia. Pakistan reopens nato supply routes to afghanistan cnn. Military looks at supply routes away from pakistan news. The kite runner by khaled hosseini, a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini, and the mountains echoed by khaled hossein. Nato trucks have no option but to drive through this tunnel, but, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet, it is a deathtrap.
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