Fuel tankers sit idle in Pakistan during dispute with US over supply routes to Afghanistan

Fareed Khan / AP

Oil tankers, which were used to transport NATO fuel supplies to Afghanistan, are parked in a compound in Karachi, Pakistan on Thursday.

Fareed Khan / AP

Oil tankers, which were used to transport NATO fuel supplies to Afghanistan, are parked in Karachi on Wednesday.

Reuters reports that Pakistan has kept supply routes to NATO troops in Afghanistan closed for six months:

The United States has been pushing Pakistan to re-open supply routes to NATO forces in Afghanistan in difficult talks that show no signs of a breakthrough any time soon.

Pakistan closed the routes, seen as vital to the planned withdrawal of most foreign troops from Afghanistan before the end of 2014, in protest against last November's killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers in a NATO air attack along the Afghan border.

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Fareed Khan / AP

A Pakistani man selling cold drinks pushes his bicycle between oil tankers, which were used to transport NATO fuel supplies to Afghanistan, in a compound in Karachi.

Muhammed Muheisen / AP

Images of daily life, political pursuits, religious rites and deadly violence.

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Get every American out of that paki ghetto now! This failed, corrupt, worthless country is not an ally, but only a lying, cheating, conniving, corrupt, scum ridden hindrance to any kind of world peace. Pakistan has never been any kind of support to the USA, and long,long ago it would have been to the benefit of the entire world if India had taken over and controlled this wasted geography. Let India handle all of Pakiistan, the world will be better for it.

  • 3 votes
Reply#1 - Fri May 25, 2012 12:16 AM EDT

. JonNotJohn

If memory serves "Bomb them into the Stone age" motivated them before.

Yours and his ideas are not really good options.

Corruption is a way of life there for sure. Nobody will deny that.

    #1.1 - Fri May 25, 2012 2:24 AM EDT

    We had a good option with Saddam and Iraq before we bombed the rainbow out of it (Operation Shock & Awe") and then invaded. The option we missed? We could deal with him, as we had in the past. Now look what we've got: a future ally of Iran and tribal sectarian violence.

    I am a retired truck driver. It will be news to most Americans to know that during Saddam, Iraq was the safest place in the Middle East to pull a semi off the road, anywhere, for the driver to get some sleep. No shakedowns by local police, no violence against western drivers, no hi-jacked loads....

    God bless stupid presidents and a stupid State Department for never-ending idiocy. Now we are messing with western-leaning Russia. Unbelievable, that ill-conceived, job-justification missile defense we are setting up slap in Russia's face! For what?! So Hillary can prove she is a man? Napoleon Bonaparte would be proud.

    • 1 vote
    #1.2 - Fri May 25, 2012 8:21 AM EDT

    I AGREE WITH Jack-1006819 THIS COUNTRY HAS GOTTEN PATHETIC AND SO CORRUPT I WOULD LOVE TO MOVE OUT OF IT JUST SO I DONT HAVE TO BE A SUPPORTER OF THIS HELL RAN PLACE IF IT WASNT FOR THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE...

      #1.3 - Tue Jun 5, 2012 6:46 AM EDT
      Reply

      If memory serves "Bomb them into the Stone age" motivated them before.

        Reply#2 - Fri May 25, 2012 1:36 AM EDT

        An unsecured fuel depot. humm

          Reply#3 - Fri May 25, 2012 2:23 AM EDT

          Please take some time to read this to get a brief unbiased understanding of Islam which will in fact benefit your debating capability through accurate knowledge.What is Islam?
          Islam is not a new religion, but the same Truth that the God (swt) of Ibrahim (Abraham) (as) revealed through all His prophets (as) to every people ranging from Adam (as) to Ibrahim (as) to Muhammad (saws). For a fifth of the World’s population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life (including the political state). Muslims follow a religion of complete submission to the God (swt) of Ibrahim (as), peace, mercy, forgiveness and justice. Islam has NO symbols representing it. Some people including some Muslims falsely attribute a “crescent and star” to Islam. This is FALSE and is NOT a symbol of Islam; rather it is a symbol of the TurksMuslims worship the God of Ibrahim (as) ALONE without any partners or intermeditaries (i.e. Isa (Jesus) (as) or pagan idols). Muslims follow the teachings and actions of Muhammad (saws) the LAST messenger sent by the God of Ibrahim (as). Muslims also base their life decisions primarily upon the Qur’an (direct Revelation of the God (swt) to Muhammad (saws)) and secondarily upon the Sunnah (actions and teachings of Muhammad (saws)).
          Muslims are an unition of more than one billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures across the globe – from the southern Philippines to Nigeria – united by their common Islamic faith. Only around 18% live in the Arab world; the World’s largest Muslim community is in Indonesia; substantial parts of Asia and around half of Africa are Muslim, while significant minorities are to be found in the Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe Muslims believe in the One, Unique, Incomparable God; in the Angels created by Him; in the prophets (as) through whom His revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgement and individual accountability for actions; in the God’s (swt) complete authority over human destiny and in life after death. Muslims believe in a chain of prophets (as) starting with Adam (as) and including Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Isaac, Yaqub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Job, Musa (Moses), Harun (Aaron), Daud (David), Sulayman (Solomon), Elias, Jonah, Yahya (John the Baptist), and Isa (Jesus) (peace be upon them all). But the God’s (swt) final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (saws) through the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) (as).Simply by saying ‘there is no god (ilah) apart from ‘the God’ (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ By this declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all of the Allah’s (swt) messengers, and the scriptures they brought The Arabic word ‘Islam’ simply means ‘submission’, and derives from a root word meaning ‘peace’. In a religious context it means ‘complete submission to the will of Allah (swt)’. “Mohammedanism” is thus a MISNOMER because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad (saws) rather than Allah (swt) the God of Ibrahim (as). ‘Allah’ is the Arabic name for God (swt), which is used by Arab Muslims, Christians and Jews alike Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion does not dominate everyday life in the West today, whereas Muslims have religion always uppermost in their minds, and make no division between secular and sacred. They believe that the Divine Law, the Shari’a, should be taken very seriously, which is why issues related to religion are still so important. A Muslim who follows his religion is considered extreme, whereas a monk who abstains from marriage, sex etc. is considered a saint. In Islam one is not allowed to take part in such abstainance.No. They all go back to the prophet and patriarch Ibrahim (as) (let alone the prophets (as) before him), and their three prophets (as) are directly descended from his sons, Muhammad (saws) from the elder son Ismail (as), and Musa (as) and Isa (as) from the younger son Isaac (as). Ibrahim (as) established the settlement which today is the city of Makkah, and built the Ka’ba towards which all Muslims turn when they pray.
          The Ka’ba is the ‘place of worship’ which Allah (swt) commanded Ibrahim (as) and Ismail (as) to build over four thousand years ago. The building was constructed of stone on what many believe was the original site of a sanctuary established by Adam (as). Allah (swt) commanded Ibrahim (as) to summon all mankind to visit this place, and when pilgrims go there today they say ‘At your service, O Lord’, in response to Ibrahim’s (as) summons. There are also reports of Jews who used to make pilgrimage to the site but when the pagan Arabs (pre-Muhammad (saws)) took over they abandoned their pilgrimage.
          Muhammad (saws), was born in Makkah in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative.
          Muhammad (saws) was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the ‘Mountain of Light’ near Makkah.
          Western historians often name him as the greatest man in history. Even with Christianity being the “ruling” religion in the West, the Times named Muhammad (saws) as the MOST influential man in history with Isa (as) being placed two positions after him If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls. . . his forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold, the unity of God and the immateriality of God; the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with words.”
          Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?”
          Lamartine [(Paris) (1854)] – Historie De La Turquie (Vol. II, pp. 276-277).How did Muhammad (saws) become a prophet and a messenger of Allah (swt)?
          At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad (saws) received his first Revelation from Allah (swt) through the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) (as). This Revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as the Qur’an.
          As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Jibril (as), and to preach the truth which Allah (swt) had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers (mostly slaves and the poor) suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622 Allah (swt) gave them the command to emigrate. This event, the Hijra, ‘migration’, in which they left Makkah for the city of Yathrib (Now Madinah - “the City”) some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
          After several years of battles and dialogue, the messenger (saws) and his followers were able to return to Makkah 10,000 strong by the Grace of Allah (swt), where they FORGAVE their enemies (who had previously heavily persecuted them) and established Islam definitively. Before the messenger (saws) died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam (political & religious) had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China.
          How did the spread of Islam affect the world?
          Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its doctrine – Islam calls for faith in the only One God of Ibrahim (as) as being worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation.
          Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according to the messenger (saws), ‘seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim, man and woman’. The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old, brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature, and history. Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and also the concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics), were transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam. Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps. The FIRST free Public Hospital was introduced in Baghdad by Muslims under Muslim rulership “By Mamun’s time medical schools were extremely active in Baghdad. The FIRST free public hospital was opened in Baghdad during the Caliphate of Haroon-ar-Rashid. As the system developed, physicians and surgeons were appointed who gave lectures to medical students and issued diplomas to those who were considered qualified to practice. The first hospital in Egypt was opened in 872 AD and thereafter public hospitals sprang up all over the empire from Spain and the Maghrib to Persia.”
          Sir John Bagot Glubb (England).The Qur’an is a record of the exact words revealed by Allah (swt) through the Angel Jibril (as) to the Prophet Muhammad (saws). It was memorized by Muhammad (saws) and then dictated to his companions (r), and written down by scribes, who cross-checked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters, Suras, has been changed over the centuries, so that the Qur’an is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad (saws) fourteen centuries ago.
          This opening chapter of The Qur’an, the Fatiha, is central in Islamic prayer (Salaat). It contains the essence of The Qur’an and is recited during every Salaat The Qur’an, the last revealed Word of Allah (swt) the God of Ibrahim (as), is the prime source of every Muslim’s faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects which concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law, but its basic theme is the relationship between the Creator (swt) and His creatures. At the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and an equitable economic system.
          Unlike the Bible, the Qur’an is not classified into “specific” chapters relating to a certain topic. The names of the chapters are derived from a word in that chapter. Also unlike the Bible the Qur’an does not tell a “story” nor is it “narrated”. It is the word of Allah (swt) & His Commands

            Reply#4 - Fri May 25, 2012 6:45 AM EDT

            jungezkhan: Despite your lengthy attempt to convince, you should know that the best way to profile the less civilized (you) is to observe how the woman are dressed in a Muslim family. Give women the same rights as men and we'll talk again.

            PS: 1. The monks you mention as an example do not aspire to increase their numbers, and then, when achieving a majority (or a violent minority), impose their beliefs on others with sharia law backed by religious "morality" police. 2. Secular people, the long-dead ancient Greeks, and even modern-day Christians, are weary of hearing about the Astrolabe.

              #4.1 - Fri May 25, 2012 9:22 AM EDT

              The Qur'an "provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct " and "the peaceful spread of Islam" ???

              Are you serious?!?!?!?!

              "For the unbelievers, we have prepared chains and fetters and a blazing Fire."
              (Quran: Al Dahr: 76 - 1.5)

              "But now enjoy what ye took in war, lawful and good; but fear Allah, for Allah is forgiving, Most Merciful."
              (Quran: Spoils of War: 8 - 67, 68)

              "Believers! Take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends. They are friends with each other. Whoever among you seeks their friendship shall become one of them. Allah does not guide the wrongdoers."
              (Quran: The Table: 5 - 51)

              "It is not for any Prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land. You desire the lure of this world and Allah desires for you the hereafter and Allah is Mighty, Wise. Now enjoy what you have won as lawful and good and keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is forgiving, merciful."
              (Quran: Spoils of War: 8 - 67, 68)

              "When you meet the unbelievers in the Jihad, strike off their heads and, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly. Then grant them their freedom or take ransom from them, until War shall lay down her burdens."
              (Quran: Mohammed: 47 - 4)

              "Allah sets forth a parable: A slave, the property of another, has no power over anything, and one whom We have granted from Ourselves a goodly sustenance so he spends from it secretly and openly; are the two alike? Praise is due to Allah!"
              (Quran: The Bee: 16 - 75)

              "O Prophet exhort the believers to fight. If there be of you 20 steadfast, they will overcome 200 and if there be of you a 100, they shall overcome a 1000, because the disbelievers are a folk without intelligence."
              (Quran: Spoils of War: 8 - 65)

              Sure… a forgiving, peaceful and merciful religion!!!!

              I noticed you also conveniently left out Islamic "traditions" such as involuntary female circumcision, wife-beating and childhood sexual abuse.

                #4.2 - Fri May 25, 2012 9:33 AM EDT

                So what OldCoot? I see your quotes of the Qu'Ran, and raise you Deuteronomy, in it's entirety.

                Islam has no monopoly on extremist ignorance.

                  #4.3 - Fri May 25, 2012 9:47 AM EDT

                  True, but the Qu'Ran was written approx. 1200 years after the Deuteronomy. You'd think mankind would be a little more enlightened by then. Wishful thinking I guess! lol

                    #4.4 - Fri May 25, 2012 10:04 AM EDT

                    I'd just like to add that in the 2600 years since the Deuteronomy was written - public stonings, the death penalty for drunkenness and other archaic laws are no longer practised, so the Jewish faith HAS evolved. Islam... not so much - public stonings though not overly common still occur, 'non-believers' are beheaded, and in some countries Muslims STILL believe slavery is sanctioned by the Quran.

                      #4.5 - Fri May 25, 2012 11:34 AM EDT
                      Reply

                      we killed their benladin now they are pissed off time to go and come home and let them fend for them selves we can protect our boarders at home for a lot less cost let them thin them selves out.

                        Reply#5 - Fri May 25, 2012 9:12 AM EDT

                        Ben Laden was not wearing his lucky necklace with the replica of the astrolabe that day.

                          #5.1 - Fri May 25, 2012 9:34 AM EDT
                          Reply

                          you cant buy your enemies

                            Reply#6 - Fri May 25, 2012 9:14 AM EDT

                            What else needs to be done to get out of Afgan and stop paying billions a yr to Pakas...?

                            Block supply routes

                            Want to go from charging us $250 to $5000 per vehicle to travel on Paka...roads

                            Sentence the person that helped get OBL to 33yrs in prison for treason

                            And 11 yrs later Afgan is basically the same country and will be for the next hundred years with or without our money

                            REALISTICALLY Afgan is about one thing.

                            - Afgan is on the border of Iran and Iraq is on the other border creating a box.

                              Reply#7 - Fri May 25, 2012 12:49 PM EDT

                              Tell them to allow us to have the trucks go where they were intended or we blow them up on the spot and end all foreign aid. They will be double dealing and yanking our chain as long as we let them. Show me where and why we need them.

                                Reply#8 - Sun May 27, 2012 3:12 PM EDT
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