WASHINGTON: The United States has built flexibility and redundancy into itsAfghan supply lines to avoid overreliance on any single option, thePentagon said on Wednesday.
The announcement came amidst increased US-Pak tension given that in thepast Islamabad had been quick to suspend the ground lines of communications(GLOC) in such circumstances.
“The US favors supply routes via Pakistanbecause of cost, but we have builtflexibility and redundancy into our supply lines into and out ofAfghanistan to avoid overreliance on any single option,” the Department ofDefense spokesman said.
Lt Col Mike Andrews said this when asked Pajhwok Afghan News if the UnitedStates could sustain itself in Afghanistan if GLOC was closed by Pakistanonce again.
Due to operational security, the Pentagon did not provide a specificpercentage of US supplies going into Afghanistan through multiple routes.
Currently, there are about 14,000 US forces in Afghanistan. As such itssupply needs are far less than when it once touched more than 100,000troops during the Obama administration.
“Due to the lower level of US troops, supply needs are lower. I cannotstate specific decreases, however,” remarked the Pentagon spokesman.