WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama and Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov, amid growing concern about the viability of Pakistan as a transit route, discussed expanding US use of the central Asian country as a route to supply troops in Afghanistan, a US official said on Thursday.
Obama's outreach to Karimov, whose has faced US criticism over his human rights record, came as the United States and Pakistan are locked in a diplomatic crisis over US accusations linking Pakistan's chief intelligence agency to militant attacks on Americans in Afghanistan.
Rising tension between Washington and Islamabad, at times awkward partners in the fight against Islamic militancy, have raised questions about Pakistan's role as a major US supply route for American forces fighting in Afghanistan. That has prompted US officials to look harder at expanding alternatives to lessen reliance on Pakistan.
On a day when overtures to Uzbekistan seemed to stretch right across Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met her Uzbek counterpart and said both sides want to deepen ties. And in Congress, changes in US law were pending that would allow more military aid to Uzbekistan, despite its poor human rights record.
Capitol Hill aides said the change was done partly at the urging of the Obama administration, which is shifting more military supply lines to the Central Asian country.
The White House said Obama called Karimov on Wednesday to congratulate the former Soviet republic on its 20th anniversary of independence and that the leaders talked about shared interests in a "secure and prosperous" Afghanistan.
Clinton talks to uzbek; lawmakers make changes
"We value our relationship with Uzbekistan. They have been very helpful to us with respect to the Northern Distribution Network," Clinton said, referring to the supply route that goes through the Central Asian country to Afghanistan.
An aide to Senator Patrick Leahy said the Obama administration had pushed for easing the restrictions on military aid to Uzbekistan due to concerns about potential limits to continuing cooperation from Pakistan with the US war effort in Afghanistan.
She spoke after meeting Uzbek Foreign Minister Elyor Ganiyev. Their dialogue raised "our concerns about human rights and political freedoms," Clinton said, but added that there were "some signs" of progress on that front.
The Senate Appropriations Committee last week approved a bill that would allow the United States to waive restrictions on aid to Uzbekistan if Clinton certifies this is needed to obtain access to and from Afghanistan.
US military aid to Uzbekistan has been restricted since 2004 because of its human rights record. House appropriators have dropped the restrictions from their bill funding foreign aid next year, an aide said, making it likely some version of the change will pass.
But rather than drop the longstanding restrictions, Leahy, who chairs the panel that funds foreign aid, added the waiver that requires the administration to assess Uzbekistan's progress on human rights, and a report on any diversion of US aid for "corrupt" purposes, the aide said.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told Reuters he had visited Uzbekistan and seen Karimov recently. "I expect a major breakthrough between us and the Uzbeks in terms of ground and air access," Graham said.
"We're going to probably replace 50 percent of what we ship into Afghanistan from Pakistan, will go through the northern route, Uzbekistan," Graham, a member of the appropriations committee, said.
One reason US officials want to expand the Northern Distribution Network is to enable more movement on the network in both directions, a US military spokeswoman said.
She said the network had been seen primarily as a way of getting supplies into Afghanistan, but with the planned drawdown over the coming years, the United States wants agreements letting it haul materiel from Afghanistan as well.
The United States also has been looking to expand overflight options throughout the region, she said. Human rights groups have urged the United States not to lift restrictions on military aid to Uzbekistan. "The human rights situation in Uzbekistan continues to be among the worst in the world," said Jeff Goldstein, a senior policy analyst at Open Society Foundations in Washington.
COMMENTS (22)
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US and NATO forces in Afghanistan are under UN mandate and so if Pakistan stops supply route -it will be against international community.Besides as Afghanistan is land lock country ,Pakistan can not deny access to sea route as per international law.
That would be great U.S shift it's route from Pakistan to Uzbekistan that means no aid hence no do more or any conditions.
bang goes the thics of champion of human rights.this is real US with its evil strategies.
"Muslim Brotherhood" is again proven has pie in the sky, alongwith usual claims of Pakistani establishment of "strategic location" to Central Asia.
@Hafeez Pasha: Has it ever occurred to you that the statement in your comment is the problem of Pakistan?
PAK could have used her geographical position as a gateway of commerce with Afghanistan and central Asian countries. Instead, PAK started to use that as a bargaining chip and the world moves on.
If US can have alliance with PAK for the past fifty years, why not with Uzbekistan? is PAK human rights record better than Uzbekistan?
No surprise here - Pakistan's largest lever on the USA is going away and that might be considered a nightmare in some quarters of Islamabad. . As far as all the "human rights" comments about Uzbek's - give me a break - yeah they are bad but Pakistan human rights record is right down there with them. It's the pot calling the kettle black. . As far as the USA not being able to afford the Uzbek route --- you can buy a lot of fuel/supplies for the 14 Billion that the USA has wasted on Pakistan - especially when your footprint in Afghanistan is shrinking.
What a joke. Please look at the map of Planet Earth. There is no "viable", "affordable" and "sustainable" route for NATO supplies to Afghanistan other than Pakistan.
Be carefull Uzbekistan . Don,t trust America.
I would certainly agree with " Concerned" we must heavily tax American merchandise so that we can fetch money without bowing in front of uncle sam
The sooner the better
pakistan should collect custom tax on these trucks.even in only 50 percent supplies go via pakistan enough revenue can be collected.and pakistans reliance on kerry lugar bill will be reduced
" in Congress, changes in US law were pending that would allow more military aid to Uzbekistan, despite its poor human rights record."- And now Uzbekistan will become a model for american style democrazy & upholding of human rights , and will become a respected member of the international community.giving Uzbek leaders the luxury of traveling around the world giving lectures about human rights & democrazy while their cities will be devastated by the taliban. The ultimate victims will be the Uzbek muslims due to their corrupt rulers.
Its not that easy, just wait and watch.
If it were only so easy. They have no alternative to Pakistan.
Karimov regime have an appalling human right record, they boil their political opponent alive. However I expect this from US who uses Human Rights as a political tool. Similarly US supported Saddam and Mubarak for decades and then dumped them.
I hope these and many other shameless acts by US marks their end
US has many cards up in its sleeve, now that Uzbek became trump card and Pakistan a Joker.
Uzbekistan must realize that US is friend to none, however,if it provides supply route to the Americans, tomorrow they may also face taliban threat in their country, like the Pakistanis.