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'''NATO supply lines to Afghanistan''' are the various routes taken by [[NATO]] to deliver vital food, hardware and other logistic supplies to [[Afghanistan]].<ref>http://www.joplinglobe.com/editorial/x910013043/Our-View-Strategic-supply-lines</ref> They have come under attack from [[Insurgent]]s at various times.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15905777</ref><ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15908345</ref>
The '''NATO supply lines to Afghanistan''' are the various routes taken by the [[NATO]] [[International Security Assistance Force]] to deliver vital fuel, food, hardware and other logistic supplies to [[Afghanistan]] in support of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001-present)]]. There are two routes which pass through [[Pakistan]], and several other routes which pass through [[Russia]] and the [[Central Asia]]n states. Following the [[2011 NATO attack in Pakistan]], the Pakistan routes were closed and have not yet been reopened.


==Southern route==
==Background==
[[File:CIA map of Afghanistan in 2007.gif|right|thumb|350px|Map of Afghanistan. Note absence of sea ports.]]
There are two routes from [[Pakistan]] to Afghanistan (both now closed). One from [[Torkham]] passes to [[Kabul]]. The other is from [[Balochistan Province]] through [[Chaman]] and on to [[Kandahar]]. These routes are used by the Nato and [[ISAF]] troops to sustain the [[War on Terror]] in Afghanistan.<ref>http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=81583&Cat=6</ref> These supply lines, termed as the logistical backbone of Nato, are the shortest routes to Afghanistan for the supply of fuel, weapons and other equipment. Pakistan has supported these supply lines as a responsible partner in the war on terror, though several hundred Pakistanis, mostly drivers and cleaners, have been attacked and killed by the [[Taliban]] since 2008.


Since Afghanistan is a landlocked country, supplies must pass through other countries in order to reach it, or else be shipped by air. Since air shipping is prohibitively expensive, NATO forces tend to rely on ground routes for non-lethal equipment. This is principally accomplished either by shipping goods by sea to the Pakistani port of [[Karachi]], or by shipping them through the [[Russia]] and the [[Central Asia]]n states.
⚫
===2010 suspension===
In 2010, Pakistan was forced to suspend the Nato supplies to Afghanistan for around one week when a Nato helicopter killed two Pakistani soldiers within the Pakistan borders. After Nato assured [[Islamabad]] that no such incident will occur in future, the supplies were restored.


===2011 suspension===
==Air routes==
All munitions, whether small arms ammunition, artillery shells, or missiles, are transported by air.<ref name="Marmon"/> In order to reduce costs, these goods are often shipped by sea to ports in the Persian Gulf and then flown into Afghanistan. However, airlifting supplies costs up to ten times as much as transporting them through Pakistan.<ref name="Whitlock">{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-turns-to-other-routes-to-supply-afghan-war-as-relations-with-pakistan-fray/2011/06/30/AGfflYvH_story.html|title=U.S. turns to other routes to supply Afghan war as relations with Pakistan fray|author=Craig Whitlock|date=2 July 2011|accessdate=25 December 2012|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref>
Unfortunately, the incident was repeated on a grander scale on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border on November 26, 2011 with the killing of 26 Pakistani troops. Pakistan blocked the Nato supply routes and, since then, the vital supply lines remain blocked.


==Northern route==
==Pakistan route==
There are two routes from [[Pakistan]] to Afghanistan (both were closed in November 2011<ref name=”AP2Jan”>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/01/02/nato-hopes-for-reopening-supply-routes-through-afghanistan/|title=NATO Hopes for Reopening of Supply Routes Through Pakistan|date=2 January 2012|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=Fox News|author=Associated Press}}</ref>). Both routes start in [[Karachi]], Pakistan's principal port, on the [[Arabian Sea]]. From there, one route crosses the [[Khyber Pass]], enters Afghanistan at [[Torkham]], and terminates at [[Kabul]], supplying northern Afghanistan. This route is approximately 1,000 miles long.<ref name="Marmon">{{cite web|url=http://www.europeaninstitute.org/February-%E2%80%93-March-2010/new-supply-front-for-afghan-war-runs-across-russia-georgia-and-the-stans.html|title=New Supply ‘Front’ for Afghan War Runs Across Russia, Georgia and the ‘Stans|author=Bill Marmon|date=February 2010|accessdate=25 February 2011|publisher=The European Institute}}</ref>The other passes through [[Balochistan Province]], crosses the border at [[Chaman]], and ends at [[Kandahar]], in the south of Afghanistan.<ref name=”BBCmap”>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/nov/28/afghanistan-nato-supply-routes-interactive|title=Afghanistan: Nato supply routes|author1=Paddy Allen|author2=Luke Harding|date=28 November 2011|accessdate=24 February 2011|publisher=The Guardian}}</ref>
One third of the cargo comes from "northern distribution network" through the [[Central Asia]] [[Caucasus]] or [[Russia]].<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/nov/28/afghanistan-nato-supply-routes-interactive</ref> [[United States]] policymakers have tried to find alternatives to Pakistan’s supply line to Afghanistan. These are through Russia, [[Kazakhstan]], [[Uzbekistan]], and [[Tajikistan]]. However, these routes are not a viable alternative to Pakistan as they are longer and costlier. The huge financial and political costs of sending supplies by routes through [[Central Asia]] may not be sustainable in the long term and there are fears that it could widen the conflict.


NATO used these routes to transport fuel and other supplies, but not for weapons.<ref name="Burns">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/10049831|title=APNewsBreak: Costs soar for new war supply routes|author=Associated Press|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 January 2012|accessdate=24 February 2012}}</ref> The Pakistan routes, until their closure, provided most of the fuel for Nato efforts in Afghanistan. In 2007, the military was burning 575,000 gallons of fuel per day, and 80% of this fuel came from Pakistani refineries.<ref name="Bryce">{{cite web|url=http://www.boell.de/downloads/worldwide/bryce_logistical_vulnerabilities.pdfl|title=Logistical Vulnerabilities and the Afghanistan War: The Pakistan Fuel Connection|date=18 November 2007|accessdate=23 December 2011|author=Robert Bryce|authorlink=Robert Bryce (writer)|publisher=Heinrich Böll Foundation}}</ref> The fuel storage capacity for forces at Bagram and Kabul air bases was less than 3 million gallons, making NATO efforts highly dependent on the Pakistani supply lines. NATO began working to reduce this dependency, building an additional 3 million gallons of storage space at Bagram Air Base in fall 2007.<ref name="Bryce"/> In 2010, as a result of a deterioration in American-Pakistani relations, the American military intensified these efforts, stockpiling supplies and increasing storage capacity.<ref name="Burns"/>
After Pakistan blocked the Nato supplies, [[Russia]] also threatened to cut off the alternate Nato supply routes to Afghanistan if the alliance failed to change its stance on its [[US missile defense complex in Poland|missile defence plans]]. According to reports, [[Dmitry Rogozin]], [[Moscow]]’s envoy to Nato, said: “If Nato doesn’t give a serious response, we have to address matters in relations in other areas”. He added that Russia’s cooperation with Nato on Afghanistan could be an area for review.

===Incidents===
From their inception, the Pakistani supply routes proved unreliable and vulnerable to theft and disruption by the [[Taliban]].<ref name="Eshel">{{cite web|url=http://defense-update.com/analysis/analysis_140309_isaf_supply_routes_afghanistan.html|title=Analysis: The Afghan War is Becoming a Logistical Nightmare|author=David Eshel|date=2009|accessdate=23 December 2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110105102027/http://www.defense-update.com/analysis/analysis_140309_isaf_supply_routes_afghanistan.html|archivedate=5 January 2011}}</ref>

In a single incident in 2008, 42 oil tankers were destroyed,<ref name="Eshel"/> and later that same year 300 militants attacked a facility in [[Peshawar]] run by Port World Logistics and set fire to 96 supply trucks and six containers.<ref name=”BBCtorch”>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7769758.stm|title=Militants torch Afghan supplies|date=7 December 2008|newspaper=BBC|accessdate=3 January 2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20090304135346/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7769758.stm|archivedate=4 March 2009}}</ref>

⚫
====2010 suspension====
In 2010, Pakistan suspended NATO supplies to Afghanistan for one week when a NATO helicopter killed two Pakistani soldiers within Pakistan's borders.<ref name="Ahmed">{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=90531&Cat=6|title=Alternate routes for Nato supplies may come under attack, say experts|author=Waqar Ahmed|newspaper=The News|date=1 February 2012|accessdate=25 February 2012}}</ref>

====2011 suspension====
The incident was repeated on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border on November 26, 2011 with the killing of 26 Pakistani troops. Pakistan blocked both routes and they remain blocked as of 2012.<ref name="AP2Jan">{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/01/02/nato-hopes-for-reopening-supply-routes-through-afghanistan/|title=NATO Hopes for Reopening of Supply Routes Through Pakistan|date=2 January 2012|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=Fox News|author=Associated Press}}</ref> Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson of Germany, however, stated soon afterwards that the coalition has enough supplies stockpiled to continue operations indefinitely despite the closure of the supply line.<ref name="AP2Jan"/>. Following the closure, NATO shifted its focus to the Northern Distribution Network, and by February 2012 85% of coalition fuel supplies were being shipped through the northern routes.<ref name="Burns"/>

In early 2012, progress was made towards the reopening of the routes, with Pakistan allowing use of its airspace for the transport of perishable food items.<ref name="WSJ16Feb">{{cite news|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204795304577222964041437368.html?mod=googlenews_wsj|title=Pakistan Allows NATO to Ship Food to Afghanistan|author=Associated Press|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=16 February 2012|accessdate=25 February 2012}}</ref><ref name="Dawn">{{cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/15/govt-allows-nato-supplies-by-air.html|title=Govt allows Nato supplies by air|author=Baqir Sajjad Syed|date=15 February 2012|accessdate=25 February 2012|newspaper=Dawn}}</ref>

==Northern Distribution Network==
Afghanistan also borders [[Turkmenistan]], [[Uzbekistan]], and [[Tajikistan]], so alternate supply routes, termed the Northern Distribution Network, exist to move supplies into Afghanistan through these countries. However, these routes are longer and costlier than the routes through Pakistan.

===Routes===
There are several different routes included in the Northern Distribution Network. The most commonly used route, though also one of the longest, starts at the port of [[Riga]], [[Latvia]] on the [[Baltic Sea]], and continues for 3,212 miles (5,169&nbsp;km) by train through Russia, [[Khazakstan]], and Uzbekistan before reaching Afghanistan's northern border at [[Termez]].<ref name="Marmon"/> To get to the south of the country, the supplies must be loaded onto trucks and transported through the mountainous [[Hindu Kush]] by means of the [[Salang Tunnel]].<ref name="Eshel"/> The Salang Tunnel, which is the main connection between northern and southern Afghanistan, is 1.5 miles long and situated at an altitude of 11,100 feet. It is prone to avalanches and quite dangerous.<ref name="Eshel"/>

Another, more southern route starts at [[Ponti]], [[Georgia]] on the [[Black Sea]] and continues to [[Baku]], [[Azerbaijan]] where the goods are transferred to barges and ferried across the [[Caspian Sea]].<ref name="Marmon"/> Supplies land in Turkmenistan and then move by rail through Uzbekistan before arriving at the Afghan border.<ref name="Bryce"/> In 2010, this route carried one third of the NDN's traffic.<ref name="Marmon"/>

A third route, created in order to avoid going through the often volatile country of Uzbekistan, goes from Khazakstan to [[Kyrgyzstan]] and then through Tajikistan before reaching Termez.<ref name="Marmon"/>

===History===
The Northern Distribution Network was established in 2009 in response to the increased risk of sending supplies through Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news|title=Northern Distribution Network Delivers|publisher=EurasiaNet|date=March 18, 2009|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/news/articles/eav031809d.shtml}}</ref> Initial permission for the U.S. military to move troop supplies through the region was given on January 20, 2009, after a visit to the region by General Petraeus.<ref name="PermissionRussiaNYT">{{cite news|last=Oppel |first=Richard A. |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/world/asia/21pstan.html |title=U.S. secures new supply routes to Afghanistan|location=Afghanistan;Khyber Pass;Russia |work=The New York Times |date=January 20, 2009 |accessdate=August 2, 2011}}</ref> The first shipment along the NDN left on February 20, 2009.<ref name=ISN-NDN>{{cite news|last=Daly|first=John CK|title=Second-Chance Logistics|publisher=ISN Security Watch|date=May 27, 2009|url=http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/Security-Watch/Detail/?ots591=4888CAA0-B3DB-1461-98B9-E20E7B9C13D4&lng=en&id=100609}}</ref> By 2011, the NDN handled about 40% of Afghanistan-bound traffic, compared to 30% through Pakistan.<ref name="cnn">{{cite news|title=To Afghanistan, on the slow train|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2011-11-29/asia/world_asia_afghanistan-military-railroad_1_pakistani-routes-freight-trains-roll-afghanistan?_s=PM:ASIA|publisher=CNN|accessdate=December 5, 2011|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/63iEkFhnQ|archivedate=December 5, 2011|date=November 29, 2011}}</ref>

On May 11, 2009, [[Uzbekistan]] president [[Islam Karimov]] announced that the airport in [[Navoi]], Uzbekistan was being used to transport non-lethal cargo into Afghanistan. Due to the still unsettled relationship between Uzbekistan and the United States following the 2005 [[Andijon massacre]] and subsequent expulsion of U.S. forces from [[Karshi-Khanabad|Karshi-Khanabad airbase]], U.S. forces were not involved in the shipment of supplies. Instead, South Korea's [[Korean Air]], which is currently involved in overhauling Navoi's airport, officially handles logistics at the site.<ref>{{cite news|last=Tynan|first=Deirdre|title=Karimov Gives Washington the Air Base it Needs for Afghan Operations|publisher=EurasiaNet|date=May 11, 2009|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav051109a.shtml}}</ref>

Originally only non-lethal resources were allowed on the NDN. In July 2009, however, shortly before a visit by President Obama to Moscow, Russian authorities announced that U.S. troops and weapons could use the country's airspace to reach Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite news|last=Baker|first=Peter|title=Russia Opens Route for U.S. to Fly Arms to Afghanistan|work=New York Times|date=July 3, 2009|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/world/europe/04russia.html?_r=1&hp}}</ref>

Additionally, human rights advocates are concerned that the U.S. is again working with the government of Uzbekistan, which is often accused of violating human rights.<ref>{{cite news|title=Afghanistan's northern neighbours: Road blocks|work=The Economist|date=March 5, 2009|url=http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13240686}}</ref> Nevertheless, U.S. officials have promised increased cooperation with Uzbekistan, including further assistance to turn the Navoi airport into a major regional distribution center for both military and civilian ventures.<ref>{{cite news|title=US Ambassador Norland Promises to Increase Cooperation with Tashkent|publisher=EurasiaNet|date=June 4, 2009|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/news/articles/eav060409a.shtml}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ambassador Explores Commercial Developments in Navoi|publisher=U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan|date=May 13, 2009|url=http://uzbekistan.usembassy.gov/pe051309.html}}</ref>

Azerbaijan, which has sent its [[Azerbaijani peacekeeping forces|peacekeeping forces]] to be a part of ISAF, also provided its airspace and airports for transportation of vital supplies for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. Apart from usage of Azerbaijani airspace by U.S. Air Force, over one-third of all of the nonlethal equipment including fuel, clothing, and food used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan travels through Baku.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/matthew_bryza_azerbaijan_us_ambassador_washington_armenia/24437637.html |title=U.S. Ambassador To Azerbaijan Leaving Post |publisher=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] |author=Richard Solash |date=2011-12-29 |accessdate=2012-01-05}}</ref>

After the close of the Pakistan routes in 2011, this route became the primary means of moving fuel into Afghanistan. By February 2012, 85% of the coalition's fuel supplies were transported by means of this route.<ref name="Burns"/> It is also used for moving equipment out of Afghanistan as part of the NATO drawdown.<ref name="AP2Jan"/> However, the use of this line is expensive, costing $87 million per month more than when the Pakistan routes were in use.<ref name="Burns"/> American officials projected that using the NDN for the NATO withdrawal in 2013 and 2014 would cost up to five times as much as using the Pakistan routes.<ref name="military.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.military.com/news/article/pak-blockade-may-rocket-afghan-pullout-costs.html|title=Pak Blockade May Rocket Afghan Pulout Costs|author=Michael Hoffman|date=23 February 2012|accessdate=25 February 2012|publisher=Military.com}}</ref>

In late 2011, Afghanistan opened its first major [[Rail transport in Afghanistan|railway line]], linking [[Hairatan]], on the Uzbek border, with [[Mazar-i-Sharif]]. If successful, this project would greatly increase the efficacy of the NDN, because goods arriving by train would no longer have to be unload and put on trucks before entering Afghanistan.<ref name="trains">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/21/afghanistan-first-major-railway-opens|title=Afghanistan's first major railway opens|newspaper=The Guardian|author=Associated Press|date=21 December 2011|accessdate=25 February 2012}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://csis.org/publication/northern-distribution-network-and-modern-silk-road The Northern Distribution Network and the Modern Silk Road] - Comprehensive report by the [[Center for Strategic and International Studies]]


[[Category:NATO operations in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:NATO operations in Afghanistan]]

Revision as of 16:14, 25 February 2012

The NATO supply lines to Afghanistan are the various routes taken by the NATO International Security Assistance Force to deliver vital fuel, food, hardware and other logistic supplies to Afghanistan in support of the War in Afghanistan (2001-present). There are two routes which pass through Pakistan, and several other routes which pass through Russia and the Central Asian states. Following the 2011 NATO attack in Pakistan, the Pakistan routes were closed and have not yet been reopened.

Background

Map of Afghanistan. Note absence of sea ports.

Since Afghanistan is a landlocked country, supplies must pass through other countries in order to reach it, or else be shipped by air. Since air shipping is prohibitively expensive, NATO forces tend to rely on ground routes for non-lethal equipment. This is principally accomplished either by shipping goods by sea to the Pakistani port of Karachi, or by shipping them through the Russia and the Central Asian states.

Air routes

All munitions, whether small arms ammunition, artillery shells, or missiles, are transported by air.[1] In order to reduce costs, these goods are often shipped by sea to ports in the Persian Gulf and then flown into Afghanistan. However, airlifting supplies costs up to ten times as much as transporting them through Pakistan.[2]

Pakistan route

There are two routes from Pakistan to Afghanistan (both were closed in November 2011[3]). Both routes start in Karachi, Pakistan's principal port, on the Arabian Sea. From there, one route crosses the Khyber Pass, enters Afghanistan at Torkham, and terminates at Kabul, supplying northern Afghanistan. This route is approximately 1,000 miles long.[1]The other passes through Balochistan Province, crosses the border at Chaman, and ends at Kandahar, in the south of Afghanistan.[4]

NATO used these routes to transport fuel and other supplies, but not for weapons.[5] The Pakistan routes, until their closure, provided most of the fuel for Nato efforts in Afghanistan. In 2007, the military was burning 575,000 gallons of fuel per day, and 80% of this fuel came from Pakistani refineries.[6] The fuel storage capacity for forces at Bagram and Kabul air bases was less than 3 million gallons, making NATO efforts highly dependent on the Pakistani supply lines. NATO began working to reduce this dependency, building an additional 3 million gallons of storage space at Bagram Air Base in fall 2007.[6] In 2010, as a result of a deterioration in American-Pakistani relations, the American military intensified these efforts, stockpiling supplies and increasing storage capacity.[5]

Incidents

From their inception, the Pakistani supply routes proved unreliable and vulnerable to theft and disruption by the Taliban.[7]

In a single incident in 2008, 42 oil tankers were destroyed,[7] and later that same year 300 militants attacked a facility in Peshawar run by Port World Logistics and set fire to 96 supply trucks and six containers.[8]

2010 suspension

In 2010, Pakistan suspended NATO supplies to Afghanistan for one week when a NATO helicopter killed two Pakistani soldiers within Pakistan's borders.[9]

2011 suspension

The incident was repeated on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border on November 26, 2011 with the killing of 26 Pakistani troops. Pakistan blocked both routes and they remain blocked as of 2012.[10] Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson of Germany, however, stated soon afterwards that the coalition has enough supplies stockpiled to continue operations indefinitely despite the closure of the supply line.[10]. Following the closure, NATO shifted its focus to the Northern Distribution Network, and by February 2012 85% of coalition fuel supplies were being shipped through the northern routes.[5]

In early 2012, progress was made towards the reopening of the routes, with Pakistan allowing use of its airspace for the transport of perishable food items.[11][12]

Northern Distribution Network

Afghanistan also borders Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, so alternate supply routes, termed the Northern Distribution Network, exist to move supplies into Afghanistan through these countries. However, these routes are longer and costlier than the routes through Pakistan.

Routes

There are several different routes included in the Northern Distribution Network. The most commonly used route, though also one of the longest, starts at the port of Riga, Latvia on the Baltic Sea, and continues for 3,212 miles (5,169 km) by train through Russia, Khazakstan, and Uzbekistan before reaching Afghanistan's northern border at Termez.[1] To get to the south of the country, the supplies must be loaded onto trucks and transported through the mountainous Hindu Kush by means of the Salang Tunnel.[7] The Salang Tunnel, which is the main connection between northern and southern Afghanistan, is 1.5 miles long and situated at an altitude of 11,100 feet. It is prone to avalanches and quite dangerous.[7]

Another, more southern route starts at Ponti, Georgia on the Black Sea and continues to Baku, Azerbaijan where the goods are transferred to barges and ferried across the Caspian Sea.[1] Supplies land in Turkmenistan and then move by rail through Uzbekistan before arriving at the Afghan border.[6] In 2010, this route carried one third of the NDN's traffic.[1]

A third route, created in order to avoid going through the often volatile country of Uzbekistan, goes from Khazakstan to Kyrgyzstan and then through Tajikistan before reaching Termez.[1]

History

The Northern Distribution Network was established in 2009 in response to the increased risk of sending supplies through Pakistan.[13] Initial permission for the U.S. military to move troop supplies through the region was given on January 20, 2009, after a visit to the region by General Petraeus.[14] The first shipment along the NDN left on February 20, 2009.[15] By 2011, the NDN handled about 40% of Afghanistan-bound traffic, compared to 30% through Pakistan.[16]

On May 11, 2009, Uzbekistan president Islam Karimov announced that the airport in Navoi, Uzbekistan was being used to transport non-lethal cargo into Afghanistan. Due to the still unsettled relationship between Uzbekistan and the United States following the 2005 Andijon massacre and subsequent expulsion of U.S. forces from Karshi-Khanabad airbase, U.S. forces were not involved in the shipment of supplies. Instead, South Korea's Korean Air, which is currently involved in overhauling Navoi's airport, officially handles logistics at the site.[17]

Originally only non-lethal resources were allowed on the NDN. In July 2009, however, shortly before a visit by President Obama to Moscow, Russian authorities announced that U.S. troops and weapons could use the country's airspace to reach Afghanistan.[18]

Additionally, human rights advocates are concerned that the U.S. is again working with the government of Uzbekistan, which is often accused of violating human rights.[19] Nevertheless, U.S. officials have promised increased cooperation with Uzbekistan, including further assistance to turn the Navoi airport into a major regional distribution center for both military and civilian ventures.[20][21]

Azerbaijan, which has sent its peacekeeping forces to be a part of ISAF, also provided its airspace and airports for transportation of vital supplies for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. Apart from usage of Azerbaijani airspace by U.S. Air Force, over one-third of all of the nonlethal equipment including fuel, clothing, and food used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan travels through Baku.[22]

After the close of the Pakistan routes in 2011, this route became the primary means of moving fuel into Afghanistan. By February 2012, 85% of the coalition's fuel supplies were transported by means of this route.[5] It is also used for moving equipment out of Afghanistan as part of the NATO drawdown.[10] However, the use of this line is expensive, costing $87 million per month more than when the Pakistan routes were in use.[5] American officials projected that using the NDN for the NATO withdrawal in 2013 and 2014 would cost up to five times as much as using the Pakistan routes.[23]

In late 2011, Afghanistan opened its first major railway line, linking Hairatan, on the Uzbek border, with Mazar-i-Sharif. If successful, this project would greatly increase the efficacy of the NDN, because goods arriving by train would no longer have to be unload and put on trucks before entering Afghanistan.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Bill Marmon (February 2010). "New Supply 'Front' for Afghan War Runs Across Russia, Georgia and the 'Stans". The European Institute. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  2. ^ Craig Whitlock (2 July 2011). "U.S. turns to other routes to supply Afghan war as relations with Pakistan fray". Washington Post. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  3. ^ Associated Press (2 January 2012). "NATO Hopes for Reopening of Supply Routes Through Pakistan". Fox News. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  4. ^ Paddy Allen; Luke Harding (28 November 2011). "Afghanistan: Nato supply routes". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e Associated Press (19 January 2012). "APNewsBreak: Costs soar for new war supply routes". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  6. ^ a b c Robert Bryce (18 November 2007). "Logistical Vulnerabilities and the Afghanistan War: The Pakistan Fuel Connection". Heinrich Böll Foundation. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d David Eshel (2009). "Analysis: The Afghan War is Becoming a Logistical Nightmare". Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Militants torch Afghan supplies". BBC. 7 December 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  9. ^ Waqar Ahmed (1 February 2012). "Alternate routes for Nato supplies may come under attack, say experts". The News. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  10. ^ a b c Associated Press (2 January 2012). "NATO Hopes for Reopening of Supply Routes Through Pakistan". Fox News. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  11. ^ Associated Press (16 February 2012). "Pakistan Allows NATO to Ship Food to Afghanistan". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  12. ^ Baqir Sajjad Syed (15 February 2012). "Govt allows Nato supplies by air". Dawn. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  13. ^ "Northern Distribution Network Delivers". EurasiaNet. March 18, 2009.
  14. ^ Oppel, Richard A. (January 20, 2009). "U.S. secures new supply routes to Afghanistan". The New York Times. Afghanistan;Khyber Pass;Russia. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  15. ^ Daly, John CK (May 27, 2009). "Second-Chance Logistics". ISN Security Watch.
  16. ^ "To Afghanistan, on the slow train". CNN. November 29, 2011. Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  17. ^ Tynan, Deirdre (May 11, 2009). "Karimov Gives Washington the Air Base it Needs for Afghan Operations". EurasiaNet.
  18. ^ Baker, Peter (July 3, 2009). "Russia Opens Route for U.S. to Fly Arms to Afghanistan". New York Times.
  19. ^ "Afghanistan's northern neighbours: Road blocks". The Economist. March 5, 2009.
  20. ^ "US Ambassador Norland Promises to Increase Cooperation with Tashkent". EurasiaNet. June 4, 2009.
  21. ^ "Ambassador Explores Commercial Developments in Navoi". U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan. May 13, 2009.
  22. ^ Richard Solash (2011-12-29). "U.S. Ambassador To Azerbaijan Leaving Post". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  23. ^ Michael Hoffman (23 February 2012). "Pak Blockade May Rocket Afghan Pulout Costs". Military.com. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  24. ^ Associated Press (21 December 2011). "Afghanistan's first major railway opens". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
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