Dispute between U.S. and Pakistan to dominate NATO summit

The disputes between the United States and Pakistan on the supply routes for U.S. troops in Afghanistan threaten to take over the summit of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization North) in Chicago, whose main objective is to plan the withdrawal of Western forces country in Central Asia. Washington and Islamabad failed to reach an agreement on the conditions required by the Pakistanis. Nearly months, Pakistan has closed the roads of the country to the Americans after U.S. air strikes mataremm troops in the country. This is just one of many logistical issues that should hinder the way the Western military alliance withdraw its troops and equipment in Afghanistan. In Chicago, more than 50 nations began to argue, on Monday, to close down more than ten years of war. Right in the opening of the meeting, U.S. President Barack Obama, said a U.S. role in the transition. "When the Afghans take control, not leave them alone," he said. The secretary general of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has confirmed plans to pass control of combat missions to Afghan forces by mid-2013 and Western troops end their combat role in the country until the end of 2014. In addition to representatives of 28 countries belonging to NATO, the meeting includes the presidents of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai and Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari. The Pakistani leader met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday, but the meeting produced no results on the reopening of supply routes.

Requirements

Among the Pakistani demands to reopen the routes are a public apology, a policy review of air attacks with unmanned aircraft (drones) and a considerable increase in the rate of $ 250 paid by each military vehicle crossing the border. The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, said before the summit that it was "unlikely" that the U.S. would pay a higher rate for transit. Obama made mention of the international aid that the U.S. millionaire pay annually to Pakistan in bargaining for the support of the country in the region and ruled out a bilateral meeting with Zardari. In his statement at the opening of the summit, NATO has limited himself to saying that "continues to work with Pakistan to reopen the lines of communication as soon as possible." "The countries of the region, particularly Pakistan, have important roles to ensure a lasting peace, stability and security in Afghanistan and to facilitate the entire process of transition," the statement added.

Costs

Another issue that should impact the withdrawal process and transition costs are. Some countries, including USA, Australia, Britain and Germany, expressed interest to contribute to an international fund to help Afghan forces after leaving NATO. The expectation is that Washington pays half of the $ 4 billion a year estimated to cover the passage of military control. France has already announced it will withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and the new president, Francois Hollande, made it clear that the decision "is not negotiable because it is a matter of French sovereignty." More than ten years after the U.S. toppled the Taliban, violence continues to rise in Afghanistan and in accordance with the UN, the number of deaths reached a record 3,031 in 2011.