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| Kyrgyzstan to close US airbase 'in a matter of days': source | |||
| 2009-01-19 | |||
| Kyrgystan will order the closure of a US military airbase used to support operations in Afghanistan "in a matter of days" under pressure from Russia, a senior Kyrgyz official told AFP. "The presidential decree on the annulment of the agreement with the United States is already prepared. In a matter of days it will be published in the Kyrgyz media," the official told AFP. The official said Russia had urged Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to announce the closure of the base in exchange for financial help to the cash-strapped Central Asian nation.
Russia has sought the closure of the base, which is a symbol of US influence in post-Soviet Central Asia, a region long dominated by Moscow. Kyrgyz officials said in December that they were preparing to close the base, located at Manas outside the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, but the United States denied that there were any plans to do so. The base is home to about 1,200 foreign military personnel, mainly from the United States, and acts as a staging post for operations in Afghanistan, located to the south. It was opened after the September 11, 2001 attacks to support US-led operations in Afghanistan. In recent months there have been a number of street demonstrations demanding the closure of the base, which is next to the country's main international airport.
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| Posted by:3dc |
| #5 IMO it appears that Russia is covertly setting up and inducing the USA to strike at IRAN in time. Widout convenient or safe air corridors for easy logistics resupply, the US-NATO + local Govt. in LT will be forced to rely on Militant-contested ground-air routes [read, MILITANT AMBUSH, CORRUPTION $$$ PAYOFFS, LONGER MILPLAN LEAD TIMES]. IOW, the Militants will have a better chance of controlling rural or open country areas while the US-ALLIES stay inside the cities and milbases [e.g. IRAQ], EVEN IFF THE US MANAGES TO MAINTAIN A HANDFUL OF RELIABLE AIR ROUTES now prone to RPG/Surface-to-Air Missle attacks. AS US-ALLIED TROOPS AND EFFEC MILOPS BEGIN TO SUFFER FROM LACK OF SUPPLIES, THE US MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER INVADING IRAN TO "SAVE" AFGHANISTAN + ISLAMIST-TROUBLED MAINLAND ASIA [Great Power confrontation]. * see WORLD MIL FORUM > NORTH KOREA THREATENS SOUTH WITH "ALL CONFRONTATIONAL STATUS" - NEW NORTH-SOUTH KOREAN WAR IMMINENT!? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-01-19 21:37 |
| #4 The Indians are willing and able to step into the breach. However ground transport is going to be a task. What are we getting from support for Georgian and Ukranian confrontation policies? The Georgian leader has only half the public support that he had last year. Pro-Russia forces are also ascending in the Ukraine. Euro-missiles are an old joke. |
| Posted by: Ulinetle Lumumba7981 2009-01-19 15:52 |
| #3 "you don't know how lucky you are, boy! Back in the US...back in the US...back in the USSR!" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-01-19 15:22 |
| #2 A few years ago the rent on that base accounted for 5% of Kyrgyz GDP. That's not counting very high local (i.e. sons and daughters of the connected) wages and goods bought by the base. The only way the Kremlin deal is better is if the Kyrgyz have no intention of repaying the loans. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-01-19 15:18 |
| #1 Screw em, if they think they can get a better deal out of Moscow then they are crazy. One Putty gets his hooks in them he'll renegotiate the deal and swipe anything of value thats laying around. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2009-01-19 15:00 |