The NATO transit road into the Middle East, particularly through Afghanistan, was stopped for several months. The road leads into Pakistan. This was at the border between the two countries that had been closed to the NATO forces; however, earlier this month the road was re-opened so that supplies from NATO such as fuel, food and other necessary goods could go through the border.
Unfortunately, the transport was attacked. At least 17 fuel tankers were destroyed when insurgents in northern Afghanistan attacked the NATO supply line on Wednesday. Wednesday’s attack could stop the supplies from going on the transit road again. The police chief in the Afghanistan province stated that the explosion happened at pre-dawn. It is uncertain whether it was a bomb on the tanker or if one was planted nearby. This will be investigated. It is also the second major act of violence in less than a week in Samangan province. There was a suicide attack at a wedding hall Saturday, which killed 19 people. The father of the bride was a member of parliament.
Insurgents are continuing to create havoc in the Middle East, especially in northern Afghanistan. NATO troops and militants have been fighting to try and control the issue so that civilians will not be killed. Two service members were killed Wednesday due to the IED. A NATO helicopter is also said to have crashed early on Wednesday somewhere in western Afghanistan.
The US military move out of Afghanistan and other parts of the Middle East may be put on hold until the insurgents are stopped. As yet no decision has been made for a military move on behalf of the US but, considering they are part of the NATO forces helping to bring necessary goods to other regions, it is possible that the US will not feel comfortable leaving the country in turmoil.
The issues that continue to crop up in the Middle East are certainly going to gain notice from the US and other allies. It may require the military to make a move in an effort to stop things for good. On the other hand, issues such as the US Navy ship firing on a vessel are not always seen as a good thing, which can cause more unrest. No updates have been given as to whether the vessel was actually going to be a danger to the US Navy vessel but, since it did move close to the Navy ship despite warnings, the Navy had the right to fire according to policy.
It seems that while certain tensions are lessened, there are still going to be pockets of trouble. These could turn into civil war, or even another war like the one that has just ended in Iraq. The US citizens may have hoped for peace and their troops to be returned but with the presidential election underway, the next person to sit office might open up more fighting in the Middle East in an attempt to help to stop the unrest.
Lance Grooms
