The Spoils Of War

NATO will need rail lines and good roads out of Afghanistan. The New York Times

As NATO Prepares for Afghan Withdrawal, Uzbekistan Seeks War’s Leftovers -- New York Times

MOSCOW — With planning for the Western military withdrawal from Afghanistan in full swing, officials in Uzbekistan want to make a deal: we will provide the roads out if you leave some of those extra vehicles and supplies behind for us.

Uzbek officials have quietly contacted American, German and British officials with the offer, in their latest bid to supplement their military despite international embargoes, according to officials in NATO countries, human rights advocates and German news reports. On the wish list are armored vehicles, mine detectors, helicopters, navigation equipment and night-vision goggles — used and dusty would be fine.

It is a proposal that has won the attention of Western capitals and that is said to have annoyed the Kremlin enough that it is pushing through an arms deal with Uzbekistan’s neighbor, Kyrgyzstan.

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My Comment: Uzbekistan has one of the worst human rights records in Central Asia .... but I do predict that an agreement will still be reached where some military equipment will be left behind in order to use Uzbekistan's road network.