On the Map: Supplying Troops in Afghanistan
Supplying over 50,000 NATO forces would be hard enough without having to traverse Taliban territory.
Our friend over at Westhawk recently highlighted a major problem facing NATO forces in Afghanistan: how do we get supplies to them? The issue brings to mind General Omar Bradley’s not-so-famous dictum: “Amateurs study strategy, professionals study logistics.” While various media reports and studies (see here, here, and here) have highlighted this problem in recent months, very few of them walk the reader through the issue geographically — and pictures, after all, make things so much easier.
Currently, the vast majority of NATO supplies transit two routes:
- Karachi -> Quetta -> Helmand Province
- Karachi -> Peshawar -> North-West Frontier -> Kabul
The principal route is the northern of the two, but Taliban forces have been ambushing our convoys. Only concerted action by Pakistani and NATO forces can keep the lifeline open.
Transit routes from Afghanistan’s immediate neighbors are limited. Iran obviously is out. Turkmenistan’s land connection is an opium smuggling route running away from Afghanistan and is dangerously close to Iran, which could threaten the convoys. Further, Caspian Sea shipping capacity is constrained and would likely not fulfill the requirements. There is no route directly from China. There is no rail directly from Tajikistan. India lacks a border and Pakistan has become too dangerous. Uzbekistan is the only viable option.
Limited railway and road infrastructure limits NATO's options.
Uzbekistan boasts a substantial network, including rail and road, and operates as a central hub for transit into Afghanistan. Kazakhstan will be also critical. Kazakh rail penetrates Uzbekistan from the northwest and the far east. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan could also come into play, but to a lesser extent. Obviously, Russian cooperation will be essential in order to get supplies from Western Europe across the landmass.
The Northern Corridor
And so the news this week that the first American cargo shipment has crossed Russia, the news last week that Uzbekistan will allow the US to transport cargo through its territory and that Turkmenistan will grant the use of its airspace, and even earlier rumors that Iran may be brought back into the fold.
Sir,
It was a hard slap on Washington’s face when Kyrgyzistan decided to evict American military base on its soil. The US has become further humiliated that now it is panicked and want a new supply route. The US is begging all neighbors of Afghanistan if they can help. The US is now using Russia and other ex-Soviet republics for its supply.
The US virtually has failed in AFghanistan, nothing in the world can reverse this. They will not be defeated but they will also lose their traditional client country, the dying Pakistan.
More laughable is that the US is able only to send non-military supplies through new routes. The question everyone is asking now, how will Obama send bullets, bombs and other weapon of mass destruction to Afghanistan.
The US