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| India-Pakistan |
| Taliban seize Nato supplies in Pakistan |
| 2008-01-25 |
| The suspected mastermind behind Benazir Bhutto's assassination has stolen sophisticated Nato equipment by raiding the alliance's supply lines running through Pakistani territory. Baitullah Mehsud, the Taliban commander who American officials hold responsible for Miss Bhutto's death, has emerged as a threat to the flow of supplies for British and American forces fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan. Mehsud's increasing prominence shows how Pakistan under President Pervez Musharraf is steadily falling under the sway of Islamist militants. Mr Musharraf, who is touring Europe, will speak in London today on "a vision for Pakistan and regional harmony". His critics believe, however, that turmoil in Pakistan is fuelling the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and helping to destabilise South Asia as a whole. A senior government official, based near the frontier town of Tank, told The Daily Telegraph that Mehsud's men regularly ambushed container lorries carrying hardware bound for Nato forces in Afghanistan. Their latest target was a supply convoy outside the town of Dera Ismail Khan on the Indus Highway, one of Pakistan's main arteries. "They managed to single out the most important lorries, removed the drivers and then vanished the consignment lock stock and barrel," said the official. "Among the booty they discovered trucks carrying cargos of pristine 4x4 military vehicles, fitted with the most modern communications and listening technology," he added. The official added that Mehsud's gunmen lacked the expertise to operate the equipment. So they enlisted the help of Uzbek and other foreign militants who are based in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas lining the north-west frontier. Gen Athar Abbas, Pakistan's military spokesman, declined to comment on this incident. A Nato spokesman in Kabul did not rule out that material had been stolen in transit through Pakistan, but denied that any weapons or military equipment had been lost. "This may hinge on what people's definition of 'equipment' is," he said. "I have been assured that no military equipment has been lost." About 40 per cent of the supplies needed for Nato's 42,000 soldiers in Afghanistan pass through Pakistan. The vital supply routes follow the Indus valley from the port city of Karachi to the border town of Peshawar. They enter Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass. Other border crossings from Pakistan's province of Baluchistan are also used. |
| Posted by:mrp |
| #9 Bill Roggio Rules!!!! |
| Posted by: Steven 2008-01-25 23:43 |
| #8 Very good catch, crosspatch! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-01-25 22:53 |
| #7 NATO supplies to Afghanistan arrive via airlift. The only thing I am aware of that arrives from Pakistan is fuel. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2008-01-25 18:40 |
| #6 This news report is a lie. There *was* a convoy that was hijacked but it was NOT a NATO convoy. NATO supplies to Afghanistan. They were Pakistani supplies headed for North Waziristan. Details here |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2008-01-25 18:38 |
| #5 ""This may hinge on what people's definition of 'equipment' is," he said. "I have been assured that no military equipment has been lost."" It makes more sense if you are trying to determine the definition of 'lost;' as in "A Nato spokesman has no clue and he would lose his ass if it weren't part of his legs".. |
| Posted by: USN,Ret. 2008-01-25 17:38 |
| #4 Most mafia truckjackings happened with the help of an inside man. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a similar thing. Hell the South Vietnamese robbed the US blind and they were on our side. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-01-25 17:16 |
| #3 they shouldn't be ghard too find , besides the GPS chips and nopt being a toyota truck bomb the shit out of them when they are seen |
| Posted by: sinse 2008-01-25 17:10 |
| #2 All those assumptions could be true. Or the ISI could have been in on it. Which would Occam prefer? Hmmm. Hard one. Gen Athar Abbas, Pakistan's military spokesman, declined to comment on this incident. A Nato spokesman in Kabul did not rule out that material had been stolen in transit through Pakistan, but denied that any weapons or military equipment had been lost. "This may hinge on what people's definition of 'equipment' is," he said. "I have been assured that no military equipment has been lost." This guy payed close attention to Bill Clinton. Perhaps he has a post-military future in politics. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-01-25 16:36 |
| #1 Among the booty they discovered trucks carrying cargos of pristine 4x4 military vehicles, fitted with the most modern communications and listening technology," he added. You mean the ones with the GPS chip...? It worked |
| Posted by: plainslow 2008-01-25 16:04 |