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| Afghans Yield in Dispute With U.S. Over Stiff Fines for Cargo Shipments | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| KABUL, Afghanistan — Faced with the possible loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in American aid, Afghanistan abruptly backed off a threat to impose steep fines on the NATO-led coalition over missing paperwork for cargo shipments, the coalition said on Thursday. | KABUL, Afghanistan — Faced with the possible loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in American aid, Afghanistan abruptly backed off a threat to impose steep fines on the NATO-led coalition over missing paperwork for cargo shipments, the coalition said on Thursday. |
| On the surface, the long-running dispute was largely a bureaucratic quarrel. But the fines could have driven up the cost of the coalition’s thdrawal, and the spat’s emergence into the spotlight last month demonstrated the increased willingness of Afghan officials to publicly decry what they portrayed as American arrogance. | |
| Afghan officials had contended that the coalition, which is allowed to import supplies duty free, had never filed paperwork to claim the exemption on most of the material it had brought to Afghanistan. They estimated 70,000 containers had been imported over the past decade, and said each was subject to a $1,000 fine now that the coalition was taking its material out. The total fine would have amounted to $70 million. | Afghan officials had contended that the coalition, which is allowed to import supplies duty free, had never filed paperwork to claim the exemption on most of the material it had brought to Afghanistan. They estimated 70,000 containers had been imported over the past decade, and said each was subject to a $1,000 fine now that the coalition was taking its material out. The total fine would have amounted to $70 million. |
| Neither side would say on Thursday how they resolved the dispute. The coalition announced the deal in a relatively brief statement, saying Afghanistan’s finance minister, Omar Zakhilwal, had recommended the fines be waived, and the government of President Hamid Karzai agreed. There was no immediate comment from Afghan officials. | Neither side would say on Thursday how they resolved the dispute. The coalition announced the deal in a relatively brief statement, saying Afghanistan’s finance minister, Omar Zakhilwal, had recommended the fines be waived, and the government of President Hamid Karzai agreed. There was no immediate comment from Afghan officials. |
| Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., the commander of coalition forces, made a point in the statement of personally thanking Mr. Zakhilwal and Mr. Karzai for their “leadership and direct engagement” on the issue. | Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., the commander of coalition forces, made a point in the statement of personally thanking Mr. Zakhilwal and Mr. Karzai for their “leadership and direct engagement” on the issue. |
| The conciliatory language appeared to be an attempt to mitigate what looked like a humiliating climbdown by Afghan officials. Mr. Zakhilwal, in particular, had cast the issue in terms of national pride, saying the fines were as much about respect for the laws of Afghanistan as money. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. | The conciliatory language appeared to be an attempt to mitigate what looked like a humiliating climbdown by Afghan officials. Mr. Zakhilwal, in particular, had cast the issue in terms of national pride, saying the fines were as much about respect for the laws of Afghanistan as money. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. |
| Mr. Zakhilwal’s comments last month had come after Afghanistan briefly closed its border crossings to NATO shipments. The borders were reopened on the condition that the matter be resolved within a month, he had said at the time. | Mr. Zakhilwal’s comments last month had come after Afghanistan briefly closed its border crossings to NATO shipments. The borders were reopened on the condition that the matter be resolved within a month, he had said at the time. |
| American officials were incensed by the move, which they saw as an attempt to wring more money out of the United States and its allies, who have spent more than $100 billion rebuilding Afghanistan since 2001. | American officials were incensed by the move, which they saw as an attempt to wring more money out of the United States and its allies, who have spent more than $100 billion rebuilding Afghanistan since 2001. |
| Within days, the Senate had passed a measure that would have cut aid to Afghanistan $5 for every $1 of fines or a total of $350 million. | Within days, the Senate had passed a measure that would have cut aid to Afghanistan $5 for every $1 of fines or a total of $350 million. |
| The coalition, meanwhile, simply began flying material out of the county when the border was closed, even though the cost of air shipments exceeded that of paying the fine and moving the cargo by land. | The coalition, meanwhile, simply began flying material out of the county when the border was closed, even though the cost of air shipments exceeded that of paying the fine and moving the cargo by land. |