Citing Risk Of Pakistani Protests, US Halts Shipments Out Of Afghanistan

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The United States said Tuesday it had stopped shipments of military equipment out of Afghanistan, citing the risk to truckers from protests along part of the route in neighboring Pakistan.

There have been anti-U.S. demonstrations in Pakistan in recent days calling for an end to the American drone program that targets militants. So U.S. officials said that they had ordered truckers under U.S. contract to park at holding areas inside Afghanistan temporarily to avoid going there.

Pentagon spokesman Mark Wright said the order affects outgoing shipments that the military calls "retrograde cargo" — equipment and other goods being sent home from military units as their numbers are reduced in Afghanistan.

"We are aware protests have affected one of the primary commercial transit routes between Pakistan and Afghanistan," he said. "We have voluntarily halted U.S. shipments of retrograde cargo ... from Torkham Gate through Karachi to ensure the safety of the drivers contracted to move our equipment."

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