"US Nears Agreement with Pakistan on Afghan Airspace Bypass Route"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The United States is reportedly close to officially agreeing with the Pakistani government to use Pakistani airspace for military and intelligence operations in Afghanistan, according to sources cited by US CNN on the 23rd (local time).

According to three sources, US officials conveyed this during a confidential congressional briefing the day before. Pakistan has expressed willingness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation exchange in its own counterterrorism efforts, but since negotiations are still ongoing, the conditions may change, the sources said.

CNN reported that the US military has been making such efforts amid the need for additional evacuation of Americans and locals in Afghanistan after the August withdrawal, as well as military and intelligence operations for counterterrorism activities against groups like the Islamic State (IS).

Currently, the US uses Pakistani airspace, a neighboring country to Afghanistan, as part of intelligence gathering on Afghanistan, but there is no official agreement guaranteeing continuous use.

When deploying reconnaissance drones, the distance from bases in Qatar or the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Afghanistan is too far, and the need to avoid hostile Iran requires using Pakistani airspace, which limits operational capabilities.

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "There is no tacit agreement," but added, "Pakistan and the US have had long-standing cooperation in regional security and counterterrorism, and both sides engage in regular consultations," CNN reported.

Stationing US troops in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which border northern Afghanistan, for Afghan operations is also emerging as a top option, but both face strong opposition from Russia, making the likelihood of success low.

One source told CNN that since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s consent is required, it is like a pipe dream and could be a "futile attempt." The State Department declined to comment on this matter.

Frank McKenzie, commander of the US Central Command responsible for Afghanistan, said in Congress last month that the US has the capability to monitor Afghanistan but it is limited.

He also expressed concern that the US is not confident in its ability to prevent IS or al-Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a base for terrorist activities in the future.

CNN said President Joe Biden stated that operational capabilities in Afghanistan would be maintained even after withdrawal, but lawmakers have expressed doubts about the White House’s ability to fulfill this promise.

Senator Jim Inhofe of the Senate Armed Services Committee pointed out after the confidential briefing that "the situation is bad for understanding and tracking terrorist threats in Afghanistan," and confirmed that "the US is less safe than before President Biden’s decision to fully withdraw from Afghanistan."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.