Russia stops US on road to Afghanistan

[mfyahya]

Interesting read:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KA27Df01.html

The shocking intelligence assessment shared by Moscow reveals that almost half of the US supplies passing through Pakistan is pilfered by motley groups of Taliban militants, petty traders and plain thieves. The US Army is getting burgled in broad daylight and can't do much about it. Almost 80% of all supplies for Afghanistan pass through Pakistan. The Peshawar bazaar is doing a roaring business hawking stolen US military ware, as in the 1980s during the Afghan jihad against the Soviet Union. This volume of business will register a quantum jump following the doubling of the US troop level in Afghanistan to 60,000. Wars are essentially tragedies, but can be comical, too.

I don't know how the US army procures supplies, but I've met a small trader in Dubai who was making good money supplying various things such as gym equipment, anti-virus software(!) via contacts in Kabul, with more than 50% markup over local prices.

[D-Mack]

Re: Russia stops US on road to Afghanistan

They are all tripping over their feet to bring democracy, but in the end it will never be allowed.

Medvedev had written to Karzai offering military aid. Karzai apparently accepted the Russian offer, ignoring the US objection that in terms of secret US-Afghan agreements, Kabul needed Washington's prior consent for such dealings with third countries.

A statement from the Kremlin last Monday said Russia was "ready to provide broad assistance for an independent and democratic country [Afghanistan] that lives in a peaceful atmosphere with its neighbors. Cooperation in the defense sector ... will be effective for establishing peace in the region". It makes sense for Kabul to make military procurements from Russia since the Afghan armed forces use Soviet weaponry. But Washington doesn't want a Russian "presence" in Kabul.

Quite obviously, Moscow and Kabul have challenged the US's secret veto power over Afghanistan's external relations. Last Friday, Russian and Afghan diplomats met in Moscow and "pledged to continue developing Russian-Afghan cooperation in politics, trade and economics as well as in the humanitarian sphere". Significantly, they also "noted the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO]" that is dominated by Russia and China.

SCO seeks Afghan role
Washington cannot openly censure Karzai from edging close to Russia (and China) since Afghanistan is notionally a sovereign country

I also like the last paragraph

Evidently, Petraeus overlooked that the US's needless obduracy to keep the Hindu Kush as its exclusive geopolitical turf right in the middle of Asia has become a contentious issue. No matter the fine rhetoric, the Obama administration will find it difficult to sustain the myth that the Afghan war is all about fighting al-Qaeda and the Taliban to the finish.

[petertribo]

Re: Russia stops US on road to Afghanistan

Russia is flexing its muscle against the US:

Kyrgyzstan President Orders US Air Base Closed

Announcement Comes Amid Rumors Russia Offered Millions to Kyrgyz Govt

Posted February 3, 2009

At a press conference today in Moscow, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced that the decision has been made to close a US military air base in the country. The two nations had been in negotiations over the amount paid by the US to use the base, and Bakiyev says the talks broke down. The Pentagon denied having been given official confirmation from the Krygyz govt that the decision was finalized.

http://news.antiwar.com/2009/02/03/k...r-base-closed/

Controlling gas and oil supplies in this area is going to be a very costly business even if it is doable.

[vanvaley1]

Re: Russia stops US on road to Afghanistan

Russia is flexing its muscle against the US:

http://news.antiwar.com/2009/02/03/k...r-base-closed/

Controlling gas and oil supplies in this area is going to be a very costly business even if it is doable.

Another reason for flying the bird to folks in that area and start serious endeavors to make this country energy indepentent. I'm sure the US military would like to continue throwing money at this second 'black hole' front for obvious reasons. But with their record of fiscal management I'd rather see it spent on stateside energy indepentent projects and pull the troops out. Rationale for pulling out? Ask our 'allies' to supply more troops, supplies, and money for Afghanistan. If they say 'no'...which they will...we'll have a reason to leave. Let the Russians and Chinese waste their money on that country.

[D-Mack]

Re: Russia stops US on road to Afghanistan

Russia is flexing its muscle against the US:

http://news.antiwar.com/2009/02/03/k...r-base-closed/

Controlling gas and oil supplies in this area is going to be a very costly business even if it is doable.

Russia lets U.S. supplies through to Afghanistan
(Reuters)

4 February 2009 Print E-mail

MOSCOW - Russia will let the United States send supplies across its territory to Afghanistan and offer flexible support, a top Moscow diplomat said on Wednesday, a day after Kyrgyzstan decided to close down a U.S. military airbase.


Moscow had in recent days responded in principle to a United States request to provide logistical support to aid Washington’s forces in Afghanistan, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said in a conference call with reporters.

‘We positively reacted to the request of the United States for the transit through Russia of goods and materials to Afghanistan,’ Karasin said.

‘We will be flexible in many other ways which will support our joint success in Afghanistan—that would be the basic school of thinking from which we will proceed,’ said Karasin.

Karasin rejected any link between a $2 billion aid package from Moscow to Bishkek with the decision of the Central Asian country to order the closure of the U.S. Manas airbase there.

The base has been an important staging post for the U.S.-led military campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayA...=international

Let's see what happens with this game