(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - February 16, 2009: The shipment of U.S. military supplies for Afghanistan through Russia will begin soon, news agencies quoted Russia's foreign minister as saying.
“The transit will take place literally within days,” Sergey Lavrov told TV Tsentr on Saturday, according to the Interfax, ITAR-Tass and RIA-Novosti agencies.
U.S. AND NATO SUPPLIES, NO LONGER VIABLE ROUTE VIA PAKISTAN: Soldiers of Pakistan's paramilitary force guard a newly built bridge to lead a trailer truck with U.S. and NATO supplies into Pakistani tribal area of Khyber neighboring Afghanistan on Friday, Feb. 6, 2009. A suicide car bomber blew himself up in the troubled Khyber tribal region after tribal police signaled him to halt during a routine check, government official said. The bridge was destroyed by militants Tuesday.
Foreign Ministry officials could not be reached for comment late Saturday, and the reports did not say whether the supplies would transit Russia by land or air. However, Russia announced last week that it would allow U.S. shipments of non-lethal military supplies to Afghanistan.
Supply routes to Afghanistan for the U.S.-led international military operation have become an increasingly critical issue in recent months amid growing militant attacks on the land routes through Pakistan that carry about 75 percent of U.S. supplies.
The U.S. plans to send around 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan this year.
Concerns rose further this month when Kyrgyzstan's president announced that the Central Asian country intends to evict a U.S. military base that is an important transit point for Afghanistan-bound troops and supplies. The base also is home to tanker planes that refuel military aircraft over Afghanistan.
The planned closure — which still must be approved by the Kyrgyz parliament — was announced shortly after Russia announced an aid package totaling more than US$2 billion for the impoverished country. The timing led to wide speculation that the aid and the base closure were linked.
Russian officials have denied any linkage, but the Kremlin is clearly uncomfortable with a U.S. military presence in the ex-Soviet republic that it regards as part of its traditional sphere of influence.
But Russia recently has shown renewed willingness to help the international forces fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Russia also has responded favorably to President Barack Obama's go-slow approach on a proposed U.S. missile shield in Europe and recent signs of U.S. accord with Moscow.
After agreeing this month to the transit of non-lethal U.S. supplies to Afghanistan, Lavrov raised the prospect that Russia could also agree to allow the transshipment of U.S. armaments — presumably in exchange for U.S. concessions such as backing off from support for NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine and from the proposals to put elements of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
U.S. AND NATO SUPPLIES, NO LONGER VIABLE ROUTE VIA PAKISTAN: Soldiers of Pakistan's paramilitary force guard a newly built bridge to lead a trailer truck with U.S. and NATO supplies into Pakistani tribal area of Khyber neighboring Afghanistan on Friday, Feb. 6, 2009. A suicide car bomber blew himself up in the troubled Khyber tribal region after tribal police signaled him to halt during a routine check, government official said. The bridge was destroyed by militants Tuesday.
Foreign Ministry officials could not be reached for comment late Saturday, and the reports did not say whether the supplies would transit Russia by land or air. However, Russia announced last week that it would allow U.S. shipments of non-lethal military supplies to Afghanistan.
Supply routes to Afghanistan for the U.S.-led international military operation have become an increasingly critical issue in recent months amid growing militant attacks on the land routes through Pakistan that carry about 75 percent of U.S. supplies.
The U.S. plans to send around 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan this year.
Concerns rose further this month when Kyrgyzstan's president announced that the Central Asian country intends to evict a U.S. military base that is an important transit point for Afghanistan-bound troops and supplies. The base also is home to tanker planes that refuel military aircraft over Afghanistan.
The planned closure — which still must be approved by the Kyrgyz parliament — was announced shortly after Russia announced an aid package totaling more than US$2 billion for the impoverished country. The timing led to wide speculation that the aid and the base closure were linked.
Russian officials have denied any linkage, but the Kremlin is clearly uncomfortable with a U.S. military presence in the ex-Soviet republic that it regards as part of its traditional sphere of influence.
But Russia recently has shown renewed willingness to help the international forces fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Russia also has responded favorably to President Barack Obama's go-slow approach on a proposed U.S. missile shield in Europe and recent signs of U.S. accord with Moscow.
After agreeing this month to the transit of non-lethal U.S. supplies to Afghanistan, Lavrov raised the prospect that Russia could also agree to allow the transshipment of U.S. armaments — presumably in exchange for U.S. concessions such as backing off from support for NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine and from the proposals to put elements of a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
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