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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| US withdraws supply route negotiators from Pakistan | US withdraws supply route negotiators from Pakistan |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| US negotiators who have been trying to reach a deal with Pakistan over a supply route to Nato troops in Afghanistan have quit the talks. | US negotiators who have been trying to reach a deal with Pakistan over a supply route to Nato troops in Afghanistan have quit the talks. |
| "The decision was reached to bring the team home for a short period of time," Pentagon spokesman George Little said. | "The decision was reached to bring the team home for a short period of time," Pentagon spokesman George Little said. |
| The negotiators have, so far, failed to reach a deal. | The negotiators have, so far, failed to reach a deal. |
| Pakistan shut a Nato supply route in November after a Nato air strike near the Afghan-Pakistani border which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. | Pakistan shut a Nato supply route in November after a Nato air strike near the Afghan-Pakistani border which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. |
| Part of the team left Islamabad over the weekend, and the rest will return to the US shortly, Mr Little said. | |
| Mr Little told reporters the team would be coming back for a "short period of time" and added that they are prepared to return at short notice. | |
| Washington has stopped short of an official apology for the deaths of the Pakistani soldiers. | Washington has stopped short of an official apology for the deaths of the Pakistani soldiers. |
| Pakistan's demand for $5,000 for each truck has also been a sticking point. | |
| The closure of the route left thousands of tankers bound for Afghanistan stranded in Pakistan. | |
| Strained friendship | |
| Nato has been forced to switch to alternative supply routes to Afghanistan through Central Asia, the Caucasus and Russia. | |
| Last week Nato signed deals with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to use their territory for evacuating vehicles and military equipment from Afghanistan ahead of the drawdown of operations there. | |
| Nato has signalled its intention to complete its mission in Afghanistan before the end of 2014. | |
| The US is hoping the use of these routes will force Islamabad to agree to a deal, but the alternative routes known as the "northern distribution network" cost even more and Pakistani officials are convinced the US will eventually agree to Pakistan's terms, the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington reports. | |
| The talks started seven weeks ago but have taken place against the background of increased tensions between the two countries in recent months, with US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta warning last week that the US was "reaching the limits of our patience" with Pakistan. | |
| US officials accuse Pakistan of providing safe haven to militants active in Afghanistan, which Islamabad denies. | US officials accuse Pakistan of providing safe haven to militants active in Afghanistan, which Islamabad denies. |
| Relations were also strained by the killing by US forces of Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil in May last year, which many Pakistanis viewed as a violation of sovereignty. |