The United States is reportedly in talks with Russia and some Central Asian Republics to revive the Northern Supply Route if Pakistan goes ahead with its planned threat of blocking NATO supply routes through its soil. It is for the second time in six years Pakistan is holding out such a threat.

 
Media reports say that the United States is exploring alternate supply routes to Afghanistan. “US may be talking to Russia, others,” a headline read as reports said Pakistan has threatened to cut off America’s and NATO’s access by land to Kabul. The threat is a retaliation for the US suspending as much as $2 billion in aid post the New Year day tweet of President Trump against Pakistan.
A US State Department official was asked what the US would do if an angry Pakistan cuts off access to the routes through which military and other supplies get to Afghanistan.
“Is the US talking with the Central Asian countries or Russia about trying to expand resupply – like northern resupply – routes to have alternatives if Pakistan cuts that off,” was the question asked of the State Department official Steven Goldstein.
He replied: “We always look at that”.
The US last week suspended all security assistance to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on terror groups like the Haqqanis, and for, in fact, providing them safe haven.
Goldstein pointed out that the aid suspension was just that – a suspension – not an end.
“…this is a suspension and not a cut-off. No funds have been reprogrammed, and we’re hopeful for future cooperation from Pakistan,” he said, referring to help from that country to rein in the Taliban and the Haqqani Network of terrorists.
Undoubtedly, the Pakistanis are mighty miffed at these developments and have made noises about cutting off US access to Karachi port through which NATO supplies to Afghanistan are routed.
If Pakistan does indeed cut off access to Karachi port, the US will be in trouble. Because Karachi is where food, military equipment and other essential items are unloaded to send to Afghanistan for US troops and for civilians alike.

It is a retaliation for the US suspending as much as $2 billion in aid post the New Year day tweet of President Trump ticking off Islamabad for providing safe havens to Haqqani Network and other terrorist groups.

Such blockade is not new though; the US faced such situation in 2011, when Pakistan closed its border to NATO supplies after the American planes strafed a border post killing several Pak soldiers while on hot pursuit of Taliban terrorists.
At the time, the US and NATO turned to Russia and Central Asian Republics for a quick way out. And routed the cargo flights through Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus; this northern route, as it is known was expensive though.
For now, there appears no urgency for the US to tap the northern route. It has built flexibility and redundancy into its supply chains, according to an agency report.
“As military planners, we develop multiple supply chain contingencies to sustain theatre requirements to maintain the train, advice and assist mission to the Afghan National Defense Security Forces,” Lieutenant Colonel Kone Faulkner told AFP early this week as Pakistan and the US are getting locked in a new fierce war of words over terrorism and safe havens.

– ramarao