The United States is paying six times as much to send war supplies to troops in Afghanistan through alternate routes after Pakistan’s punitive decision in November to close border crossings to NATO convoys, according to an internet source which quoted the Associated Press. Pentagon figures provided to the AP show it is now costing about $104 million per month to send the supplies through a longer northern route. That is $87 million more per month than when the cargo moved through Pakistan. While US officials have acknowledged that using alternate transportation routes for Afghan war supplies is more expensive and takes longer, the total costs had not been revealed until now. The Pentagon provided the cost figures to the AP on Thursday. US officials said the elevated costs are likely to continue for some time, as US-Pakistan tensions remain high.
And what about its costs to Pakistan. Army is arm twisting USA. secure in its knowledge that any punitive action would harm the nation not the army itself and hence would only strengthen its grip over every aspect of this wretched country. USA is also silent for now because it needs the Pakistani routes to finish its job in Afghanistan and get its troops back, with as little economic and diplomatic costs. But once it is out of this quagmire, then it has enough resources and power to reverse the arm twisting. Unfortunately it would again harm the country much before its effects reach the army.
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