Pakistan cuts off NATO supply route to Afghanistan.
US/NATO forces are 100% reliant on fuel driven in from Pakistan. There is no way to airlift enough fuel to keep US forces operational. There's enough fuel in-country for everybody to get to Bagram to be airlifted out, but that's about it.
The supply situation just became as tenuous as Dien Bien Phu's supply situation became once Ho Chi Mihn got artillery onto the slopes overlooking its airstrip. Pakistan has always been problematic as an ally against the Taliban because, uhm, they *created* the Taliban. So now the question is, what is the U.S. going to do? Bribe Pakistan to re-open the supply route? Escort U.S. supplies with U.S. troops and dare Pakistan to do something about it, which, given the fact that the average Paki is about as hyper as a ferret on meth about his "manhood" is almost 100% guaranteed to start a shooting war?
This penguin now returns to his vacation for at least another two days. What a thing to wake up to with my morning coffee though :(.
-- Badtux the History Penguin
War in Afganistan, that's the rub matey.
ReplyDeleteNever worked well since waaay back when.
We all know it, except for the 'powers to be'.
The US will also break upon that rocky shore.
Add in Pakistan and it's A BIG OHH SHIT, not counting all the countries that will hate us even more.
What was that old ditty "HELL NO WE WON'T GO".
Who's gonna pepperspray the Neocons?
w3ski
Well, the Ten Thousand had a happy ending, didn't they? :\
ReplyDeleteThe History Penguin probably knows this, but for his other loyal readers, did you lean about the British Army of 20,000+ men (and who knows how many hangers-on?) that was trapped in Afghanistan in 1842 and had to fight its way out? Only one British guy got out alive. Only one.
ReplyDeleteMark Twain said "History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.
"learn" not "lean" Too bad there's no edit function with Blogger the way there is with Disqus.
ReplyDeleteLet the shooting begin, the more that die over there the better off the planet is, I could care less if about 3 billion on that side of the rock die.
ReplyDeleteDood, when the GOP takes your Socialist Security away and tells you to just die, already, I'm sure you'll just shrug and say "Okay" and die on command, right? Right?!
ReplyDeleteProblem is, most people *don't* just shrug and say "okay!" and die on command. Messy shit happens.
Anyhow, Bukko, Nan , w3ski, Pakistan has pulled this before. They wanted bigger bribes. We'll give them bigger bribes. But even if they won't take bigger bribes, we're not going to see 20,000 NATO bodies. We can fly them all out of Bagram without any problem at all. We just can't keep them supplied with fuel so that they can continue operations in the countryside, that's all. Makes a dandy excuse to pull the troops out, if Obama wants to take it...
- Badtux the "He won't, though" Penguin
The first thing that came to my mind when I heard about this was that it would give Obama a perfect excuse to get out of there. My next thought was that if we don't decide to withdraw, it might be in our best interest to work out something with China ;) We could threaten not to pay them the money we owe them or something. LOL.
ReplyDeleteLynne, China is scared shitless that Bernanke actually *is* going to start helicopter drops. Because helicopters won't do jack shit for America's economy because America doesn't build anything anymore. But China would get overwhelmed with dollars buying Chinese crap, and the result would be massive inflation -- in China, not here (doh!).
ReplyDelete- Badtux the "We're ALL screwed" Penguin
I thought Boeing had a plant in Arizona where they make military helicopters? Maybe it closed? I don't know. I do know that the USA still manufactures a lot of stuff but I also know that we are definitely heading in the direction of manufacturing nothing and very well may be in a situation where we couldn't make stuff if we had to.
ReplyDeleteBut I wasn't really being serious about China. I was just making a bad joke about supply alternatives to Packistan using the most impassible Afghan border that I could think of. We might be able to get China to let us use Wakhjir Pass to resupply our troops but it wouldn't do us any good.
Only one British guy got out alive. Only one.
ReplyDeleteWell, him and Flashman...
So now the question is, what is the U.S. going to do?
ReplyDeleteI say go the hell home, and totally cut off Pakistan. If we're going to give a way aid, it ought to be to our fucking allies.
Just sayin' . . .
JzB