Pakistan Holds US Troops Hostage

Flopping Aces ^ | 12-21-11 | CJ

[Starman417]

blogging from Afghanistan

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Alpi ReyesCruz, who is from the Dominican Republic, waits for his ride on Combat Outpost Herrera Dec. 2. Reyes, an infantry soldier by
trade, was finishing up a seven-month deployment as the Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's science and technology advisor for Regional Command East. The assignment took him all over
the region, usually by himself, to document improvements soldiers wanted in their equipment. Once documented, he would relay the information back to the States where prototypes would be made and sent into
theater for real-world trials before being mass produced and officially issued.

I went to the PX yesterday looking for some boot laces for one of our Wounded Warriors. His uniforms and boots had to be cut off. So, he has boots, but no laces.

Half the shelves were empty with little signs that begged for patience as "we are experiencing logistical supply shortages due to the blockade in Pakistan."

Kabul is pissed because the 'Merican drawdown will result in something like a $14BN loss to their economy. Their economy has seen roughly 11% annual growth over the last 5 years.

In other news, Pakistan has blocked ISAF trucks from crossing Torkham gate from Pakistan into Afghanistan. These trucks provide the majority of our equipment and life support. The Pakis are demanding something like $1750 per truck to be allowed transit, and there are currently over 1000 trucks stuck there (and as they are sitting there, they get pilfered, and attacked by Taliban). These are contracted vehicles, so the drivers are just as likely as not to say "screw it" and leave, with or without their payloads; and even if they stay, we pay them extra for their trouble.

Pakistan is literally holding needed supplies and trying to keep our forces hostage. These are, if you'll recall, the same "partners" in the war on terror who didn't know (*ahem*) bin Laden was living right outside their version of the war college. We kill bands of insurgents every day, and if they are anywhere near the border, Pakmil suddenly claims they were Pakistani forces. Even though we clear any kinetic strikes close to the border (within 4km on our side) through the Pakistan military liaison.

[bgill]

$1750 per truck to be allowed transit, and there are currently over 1000 trucks stuck there

No problem. Obamuzzie will just write them another check.

[Pat4ever]

Wow, how totally...unexpected. More evidence of the despicable leadership from CinC. Enjoy your 17 day tax-payer funded vacay in “Asia.”

[Ax]

The trucks are being attacked by the Taliban? Apparently they didn’t get the word from the VP’s office that we don’t consider them enemies per se any longer. Let my trucks go!

[Pat4ever]

You can’t make this stuff up. Just have to make sure people remember in November. The troops sure do-did you happen to see any soldier twitter responses to Biden’s statement? God bless our military!

[Ax]

No, I didn’t see any. I just emailed the Flopping Aces article to my daughter in Afghanistan. I’m waiting for her repsonse.