U.S. Plans Central Asian Supply Route To Afghanistan

A truck carried supplies for American and NATO troops on a highway east of Kabul, Afghanistan. Musadeq Sadeq/Associated Press

From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — The United States and NATO are planning to open and expand supply lines through Central Asia to deliver fuel, food and other goods to a military mission in Afghanistan that is expected to grow by tens of thousands of troops in the months ahead, according to American and alliance diplomats and military officials.

The plan to open new paths through Central Asia reflects an American-led effort to seek out a more reliable alternative to the route from Pakistan through the strategic Khyber Pass, which was closed by Pakistani security forces on Tuesday as they launched an offensive against militants in the region.

The militants have shown they can threaten shipments through the pass into Afghanistan, burning cargo trucks and American Humvees over recent weeks. More than 80 percent of the supplies for American and allied forces in Afghanistan now flow through Pakistan.

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Update: US eyes alternate supply lines into Afghanistan: official -- AFP
Update: Eight die in Pakistan offensive against militants in the Khyber Pass -- Christian Science Monitor