Taliban’s attack on the US and NATO Achilles Heel

In the fresh round of fighting in Pashtunistan(the borderlines of Afghanistan and Pakistan) , the US and Taliban forces are targeting each other’s logistic follow ups. The new strategy of the US was targeting the logistical bases and camping and recruiting centers of Taliban in Pakistan. In the same organized manner, the Taliban are also aiming at chained attacks on logistics delivery lines of the US and NATO forces. In recent days, the Taliban have twice attacked the US and NATO logistical caravans in Peshawar.

The Americans know that in order to tackle Afghanistan’s Taliban, there is no way but to cut their ties in Pakistan soil. That is why the US forces have exploited drones to attack bases of Taliban in Pakistan soil. One of the most noticeable ones was their futile attempt to kill Molavi Jalaeddin Haqani, the senior commander of Taliban in Pakistan.

In such attacks, some small drones equipped with video cameras and weapons are sent to suspected regions. In case of their encounter with the subjects, the central commanding bases would rapidly order an attack on the region. On the other side, the Taliban are taking advantage of US forces’ weakness on logistical lines of Peshawar. The US and NATO have no choice but to deliver their logistical necessities via Karachi port. Then the stuff would be delivered to Kabul via Peshawar and Kheybar and Jalal Abad. The trucks carrying such stuff enjoy relative security on their south to north way. But when they get to Pashtunistan in Pakistan’s North West, they encounter Taliban. This region is a social base for Taliban and their supporters.

In such a situation, one should take notice of the region’s population in Peshawar. There, Pashtuns are in majority; so the Taliban enjoy the opportunity to hit hard on logistical caravans of the US. Once, the Taliban ordered 300 militants to attack NATO trucks in just one night. The population of the region was so pro-Taliban that none of the militants were hurt during that anti-NATO operation.  

Right now, the tensions between India and Pakistan armies are intensified due to Mumbai attacks; and the two countries have moved their forces to borderlines. In such a situation, the Pakistan army would not exploit its forces on western borders in order to tackle the Taliban. The reason is that Pakistan now needs all its energy on the eastern borders with India. At the same, the Americans and Taliban are also far from abandoning attacks on their respective logistical targets. Anyhow, the continued logistical support is the sole determining factor on the fighting between American and Taliban forces in Pashtunistan.