Reopened Supply Routes Mean Cost Savings, Spokesman Says

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By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C.Marshall Jr.American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 5, 2012 – Pakistan’sdecision to reopen ground supply routes on its border with Afghanistan willallow the Defense Department to save tens of millions of dollars transportingmaterial in and out of Afghanistan, a senior Pentagon spokesman said heretoday.
Navy Capt. John Kirby said officialsestimate that use of the reopened routes will save $70 million to $100 millionper month.
Kirby noted that Defense Secretary LeonE. Panetta had told Congress that since Pakistan had closed the routes inNovember, resupplying forces in Afghanistan had been costing the United Statesabout $100 million more per month than before the closure.
“Secretary Panetta fully supports theapproach that was taken, and the discussions that were had,” Kirby said. “Hewelcomes the decision by Pakistan to open the gates.”
Pakistan closed the supply routes aftera Nov. 26, 2011, incident in which American troops came under fire fromPakistan. U.S. forces returned fire and killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Pakistanresponded by closing the main overland supply routes for U.S. and NATO forcesinto Afghanistan.
U.S. logistics specialists quicklyshifted to other means, such as the Northern Distribution Network, to supplythe forces. However, DOD officials have noted the routes through Pakistan areconsidered the most direct and most cost-effective.
“The Defense Department, immediatelyafter the incident in November, expressed our regrets and condolences over it[and] acknowledged the mistakes we’ve made, and we’re sorry for thosemistakes,” Kirby told reporters today.
He added that although the Pakistaniground supply routes are cheaper, coalition forces will continue to use theNorthern Distribution Network as well.
“The Northern Distribution Network isstill a viable, vital method through which logistics flow in and out ofAfghanistan,” Kirby said. “One of the things that we’re looking at, more [now]than we were in November when the [Pakistani ground supply routes] closed, wasretrograde -- the need to get material out of Afghanistan. So the NorthernDistribution Network will still remain vital as we move forward.”
Kirby said traffic has started to flowthrough the Pakistan ground gates, and that the same agreement in place beforethe closure still applies.
“The same arrangement we had using theground gates before they closed are in existence now,” he said. “There’s beenno change to those agreements.” No lethal material is permitted to flow throughthe ground lines of communication, he added, unless it is designed and designatedsolely for the Afghan national security forces.
Kirby said the United States andPakistan continue to work to “get this relationship on better footing.”
“My sense is this was just a series of alot of discussions and negotiations, and [a] concerted effort by both sides tomove past this and to get the relationship into a better place [as we] start tolook at the common challenges in the region,” he said.
Kirby re-emphasized the practicalbenefits and cost-effectiveness of moving logistics through Pakistan’s groundsupply routes.
“We’ve always said moving things throughthe ground gates is cheaper and more expedient,” he said. “Because we have thatopen to us now, it will save money.”