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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Uzbek threat to close US base
2005-07-08
Uzbekistan signalled yesterday that it was reconsidering the future of the US airbase on its territory. The foreign ministry said in a statement that the airbase at Karshi-Khanabad, which American forces use to support operations in and supply humanitarian aid to neighbouring Afghanistan, was only intended for combat operations in northern Afghanistan during the overthrow of the Taliban regime after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US. "Any other prospects for a US military presence in Uzbekistan were not considered by the Uzbek side," the ministry said.
Coincidentially, we've been reconsidering the future of the Uzbek thugs running their government.
Uzbekistan also claimed that the United States had not paid takeoff and landing fees for all flights to and from the base, and had offered virtually no compensation for additional costs incurred by the Uzbek authorities for guarding the base, new infrastructure, ecological damage and inconvenience to the local population. "In the view of the foreign ministry of Uzbekistan, these considerations should be central to examining the prospects of the future presence of the US military force at the Khanabad air base," the statement concluded.
Cash, check or MasterCard?
On Tuesday a regional alliance led by China and Russia, and including Uzbekistan, called for the US and its allies in Afghanistan to set a date for withdrawing from several states in central Asia, reflecting growing unease at America's military presence in the region.
After the 9/11 attacks the US struck a deal to use bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. But relations between Tashkent and Washington deteriorated after the US called for an independent inquiry into the Andijan massacre in May.
Posted by:Steve White

#2  new infrastructure
Yeah, we had the goats graze in a straight line rather than the old crooked paths.
ecological damage
So jihadis are an Endangered species now? Actually, we couldn't do much more ecological damage than you (and moreso Turkmenstan) have done yourselves.
Posted by: Jackal   2005-07-08 20:31  

#1  new infrastructure, ecological damage

LOL!
Posted by: Shipman   2005-07-08 11:23  

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