U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Pakistan is reopening vital NATO supply routes into Afghanistan after closing them in response to a deadly U.S. airstrike last November.Clinton said she spoke to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar by phone Tuesday and that they both acknowledged the mistakes made in the incident that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the Afghan border. Clinton said they were "both sorry for the losses suffered" by both countries in the fight against terrorists and that the United States "is sorry for the Pakistani military's losses."
Islamabad had demanded a full apology following the incident, but up until now, U.S. officials only had offered their "deepest regret" and "sincere condolences."
NATO Supply Routes Through Pakistan:
Islamabad had demanded a full apology following the incident, but up until now, U.S. officials only had offered their "deepest regret" and "sincere condolences."
NATO Supply Routes Through Pakistan:
- One route crosses the Khyber Pass and goes to Kabul
- The other route goes through Baluchistan province to Kandahar
- The routes carried about one third of NATO cargo for ISAF forces
- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the closure cost an extra $100 million a month in overland shipping through Central Asia
- Pakistan closed the routes after U.S.-led NATO airstrikes mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani troops near the Afghan border last November