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Nato supply line to reopen ‘relatively quickly’
Sunday, 03 Oct, 2010
WASHINGTON: A vital land route used by Nato to deliver supplies to Afghanistan will reopen “relatively quickly,” Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington said Sunday, three days after his country blocked off its access.
Envoy Hussain Haqqani told CNN’s “State of the Union” program that the transit way likely will reopen within days.
“I think the supply line will be open relatively quickly,” he said.
Pakistan halted the Nato convoys on Thursday after officials blamed a cross-border Nato helicopter attack for the deaths of three Pakistani soldiers.
But Haqqani told CNN that he expected that the road would reopen in “less than a week.””It’s not a blockade. “It’s just a temporary suspension of the convoys moving through,” Haqqani said. “I do not expect this blockade to continue for too long.”
The Khyber pass at Torkham is on one of the main Nato supply routes through Pakistan into Afghanistan, where more than 152,000 US and Nato forces are fighting a Taliban-led insurgency.
Nato said its aircraft had entered Pakistani airspace Thursday in self-defense and had killed “several armed individuals” after the air crews believed they had been fired upon from Pakistani territory.
It was one of four such strikes last week by Nato helicopters pursuing militants into Pakistan, in actions that have been condemned by Islamabad.
Haqqani said that General David Petraeus, the US commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, was looking into the matter.
“I spoke to General Petraeus last night. He called me from Kabul,” Haqqani said.
“He assured me he will resolve the issue over the Nato tanker supply line.
He understands Pakistan has not stopped it as a political retaliation but only to make convoys more secure,” he said.
Haqqani added that the recent imbroglio likely will create no permanent damage to future US-Pakistan cooperation.
“Pakistan is an American ally. America depends on Pakistan,” Haqqani said.
“We can and do not do everything the Americans think we should do because sometimes we don't have the capacity, sometimes we don't have the means,” he said.
Nevertheless, Haqqani continued, “we work those things out and that is exactly what we are doing right now.
“Minus all of the political noise, the fact remains that we are working together.” — AFP
Sunday, 03 Oct, 2010
WASHINGTON: A vital land route used by Nato to deliver supplies to Afghanistan will reopen “relatively quickly,” Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington said Sunday, three days after his country blocked off its access.
Envoy Hussain Haqqani told CNN’s “State of the Union” program that the transit way likely will reopen within days.
“I think the supply line will be open relatively quickly,” he said.
Pakistan halted the Nato convoys on Thursday after officials blamed a cross-border Nato helicopter attack for the deaths of three Pakistani soldiers.
But Haqqani told CNN that he expected that the road would reopen in “less than a week.””It’s not a blockade. “It’s just a temporary suspension of the convoys moving through,” Haqqani said. “I do not expect this blockade to continue for too long.”
The Khyber pass at Torkham is on one of the main Nato supply routes through Pakistan into Afghanistan, where more than 152,000 US and Nato forces are fighting a Taliban-led insurgency.
Nato said its aircraft had entered Pakistani airspace Thursday in self-defense and had killed “several armed individuals” after the air crews believed they had been fired upon from Pakistani territory.
It was one of four such strikes last week by Nato helicopters pursuing militants into Pakistan, in actions that have been condemned by Islamabad.
Haqqani said that General David Petraeus, the US commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, was looking into the matter.
“I spoke to General Petraeus last night. He called me from Kabul,” Haqqani said.
“He assured me he will resolve the issue over the Nato tanker supply line.
He understands Pakistan has not stopped it as a political retaliation but only to make convoys more secure,” he said.
Haqqani added that the recent imbroglio likely will create no permanent damage to future US-Pakistan cooperation.
“Pakistan is an American ally. America depends on Pakistan,” Haqqani said.
“We can and do not do everything the Americans think we should do because sometimes we don't have the capacity, sometimes we don't have the means,” he said.
Nevertheless, Haqqani continued, “we work those things out and that is exactly what we are doing right now.
“Minus all of the political noise, the fact remains that we are working together.” — AFP
