Pak border closure drives up war cost: US

WASHINGTON (PAN, a top Pentagon official has said.

“It turns out that our Afghanistan war costs have been higher this year than we anticipated, in part because of the higher-than-expected operating tempo and in part because of increased transportation costs due to the extended closure of the Pakistan ground lines.”  

Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter this while addressing a news conference on the fiscal uncertainty and its impact on the Department of Defense.

The crucial ground lines of communications were closed in the aftermath of a November 2011 incident, killing several Pakistani soldiers in cross-border fire by the US forces.

As a result of the raid that fuelled tensions between the allies, the US had to use the expensive northern routes through Central Asia for flying supplies into and out of Afghanistan, which increased the war budget.

The ground supply lines were opened by Pakistan last summer as a result of hectic diplomatic and military efforts.

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