US reaches out to Uzbekistan for war supplies

Obama and Uzbekistans President Islam Karimov discussed expanding US use of the central Asian country as a route to supply troops in Afghanistan, a US official said on Thursday, amid growing concern about the viability of Pakistan as a transit route.The White House said Obama called Karimov on Wednesday to congratulate the former Soviet republic on its 20th anniversary of independence and that the leaders talked about shared interests in a secure and prosperous Afghanistan.Obamas outreach to Karimov, whose has faced U.S. criticism over his human rights record, came as the United States and Pakistan are locked in a diplomatic crisis over U.S. accusations linking Pakistans chief intelligence agency to militant attacks on Americans in Afghanistan.A senior Obama administration official said the use of Uzbek territory, which already serves as a key supply route for U.S. war supplies, was an important topic of discussion between Obama and Karimov.On Capitol Hill, U.S. senators have also made a clear push for improving ties with Uzbekistan so that more supplies can be moved to and from Afghanistan through the Northern Distribution Network that goes through Uzbekistan.