What Would Charlie Wilson Think of This?
Posted by Ilan Goldenberg
Just one of those zany observations about history repeating itself and having incredibly odd results.
In Brussels on Thursday, a NATO official said diplomatic efforts are nearing conclusion on setting up new routes for U.S. and NATO military supplies that will likely pass through Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan...
The Khyber Pass has been a critical trade and military gateway between Pakistan and Afghanistan for centuries, but like much of western Pakistan it has been besieged by the Taliban, including attacks on cargo trucks.
Moscow agreed last year to let the NATO alliance use its territory to resupply Western forces fighting in Afghanistan. But talks with Central Asian nations bordering Afghanistan have been more protracted than expected.
The Khyber Pass has been a critical trade and military gateway between Pakistan and Afghanistan for centuries, but like much of western Pakistan it has been besieged by the Taliban, including attacks on cargo trucks.
Moscow agreed last year to let the NATO alliance use its territory to resupply Western forces fighting in Afghanistan. But talks with Central Asian nations bordering Afghanistan have been more protracted than expected.
Not that I think this is such a bad idea. I'm just saying. What would you have said to me if I had told you twenty five years ago that the United States would be bringing in supplies through Russia to fight an insurgency in Afghanistan that was being powered primarily through tribes and extremist group on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area?
Maybe we should ask the russians' advice about how to fight Taliban. They have a lot of experience at it, and they might have learned some lessons that would be useful to us.
Posted by: J Thomas | January 12, 2009 at 11:56 AM