Russians Threaten NATO Supply Line Into Afghanistan
It seems the Russians’ lust for control over Georgia and the other former Soviet “Republics” in the Caucasus/Central Asian region, including that area’s enormous natural gas and crude oil deposits, are far more serious and determined than many in the West had previously been pleased to acknowledge. From the Times of London:
Russia played a trump card in its strategic poker game with the West yesterday by threatening to suspend an agreement allowing NATO to take supplies and equipment to Afghanistan through Russia and Central Asia.
The agreement was struck at a NATO summit in April to provide an alternative supply route to the road between the Afghan capital and the Pakistani border, which has come under attack from militants on both sides of the frontier this year.
Zamir Kabulov, the Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan, told The Times in an interview that he believed the deal was no longer valid because Russia suspended military cooperation with NATO last week over its support for Georgia.
Asked if the move by Russia invalidated the agreement, he said: “Of course. Why not? If there is a suspension of military cooperation, this is military cooperation.”
Mr Kabulov also suggested that the stand-off over Georgia could lead Russia to review agreements allowing Nato members to use Russian airspace and to maintain bases in the former Soviet Central Asian states of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
“No one with common sense can expect to cooperate with Russia in one part of the world while acting against it in another,” he said.
Afghanistan is landlocked. Supplies must be brought in by air or overland. Those who have insisted that forces in Iraq should be shifted to the “real” battlefield in Afghanistan, would be well-advised to consider just how those troops should be supplied from outside. And what to do about Russian intransigence. My fear is that Obama, whose foreign policy defenders are quick to cite Ronald Reagan’s “negotiations” with Soviet Premier Gorbachev, would be perfectly content to bargain away NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia and the soon-to-be-deployed ballistic missile shield in exchange for a Russian promise of good behavior… and of course, a suitably impressive photo-op.
Its only speculation of course, but I can’t help wondering if the Russians would be anywhere near as belligerent if Barack Obama was seen as less of a naive, foreign and defense policy lightweight. One who will be remarkably easy to push around should he be elected.
Carrick
Proof
magicfox
WOOF
Kenny
The Whistler
