Kyrgyzstan 'to shut key US base'

[Evil Flare]

Kyrgyzstan's president has said his government is closing a key US air base on its territory.

Kurmanbek Bakiyev made the announcement in Moscow, where he was promised more than $2bn (£1.4bn) in aid by Russia.

Despite this officials in Washington said the US was still hoping to continue using the Manas base.

Manas - outside the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek - supports US and Nato operations in Afghanistan and is the only US base in Central Asia.

The closure of the base will be a big blow for those operations in Afghanistan, the BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says. It is a hugely important air base for us

Geoff Morell
Pentagon spokesman

The announcement comes at a critical moment, just as the new administration of US President Barack Obama plans a sharp increase in the number of American troops in Afghanistan.

For Russia, on the other hand, it is a significant diplomatic victory as it seeks to reassert its influence in all former Soviet republics and beyond, our correspondent says.

'Right price'

In Moscow, President Bakiyev said his government "has made the decision on ending the term for the American base on the territory of Kyrgyzstan".

He said the Manas base - set up in 2001 to assist the US military operation against al-Qaeda and the Taleban in Afghanistan - was only meant to be open for two years at the most.



But perhaps more importantly, he made it clear the Americans had not been willing to pay what Bishkek regards as the right price to keep the base open, our correspondent says.

He adds that now the Russian government has stepped in with a huge financial package for Kyrgygstan - $2bn in loans and another $150m in aid.

'Political positioning'

In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morell said active negotiations were under way with Bishkek on the Manas base.

"It is a hugely important air base for us. It provides us with a launching off point to provide supplies to our forces in Afghanistan."

"We are hopeful that we can continue our good relationship with the Kyrgyz government, and can continue to use Manas," Mr Morrell said.

Meanwhile, Colonel Greg Julian, US spokesman in Afghanistan, told the Associated Press that Mr Bakiyev's statement was "political positioning".

Last month, the top US military commander for the Middle East and Central Asia, Gen David Petraeus, held talks in Bishkek about the future of Manas.

He said afterwards that the closure of the base had not been discussed.

 

[BATMAN]

Back to square 1 i.e. Pakistan.
Now this is some serious development. There is a message in it for Iran as well.

I think its high time for Pakistan to press hard with US on urgent delivery of F-16 block 52 and expediency in MLU contract.
I do expect immediate softening of US stance on Pakistan and small aid talk but this time Pakistan should not fall for less than F-16 and may be more i.e. advance gear and vehicles to fight WOT in north.

 

[ejaz007]

Kyrgyzstan shows US the door
Friday, February 06, 2009
By Joshua Kucera

The details of the US’s apparent ejection from its only remaining base in ex-Soviet Central Asia remain murky, but initial reports suggest that the US was simply outbid by Russia. Russia offered a $2bn aid package to Kyrgyzstan, and the US’s $150m annual payments to Kyrgyzstan suddenly looked pretty paltry. Underscoring the point, the president of Kyrgyzstan made the announcement not at home, but while on a trip to Moscow.

So it’s tempting to write this off as bazaar politics. But the seeds for this move were sown last August in Georgia, when the US failed to do anything substantial to support its close ally in its war against Russia. Georgia, remember, sent a quarter of its armed forces to Iraq, despite the presence of two festering conflicts on its own soil, solely to curry favour with the US. It enacted free-market economic reforms so quickly, and in spite of significant social dislocation, that it was named the top reforming country in the world by the World Bank.

So when Georgia went to war with Russia and the US stood by, it sent a strong signal to the rest of America’s would-be allies in the former Soviet Union. (Remember also, while it’s now clear that Georgia and Russia were both culpable for that war breaking out, as soon as fighting started US officials immediately blamed Russia.) If the US isn’t going to defend Georgia, would it defend Azerbaijan, or Ukraine or Kazakhstan?

Kyrgyzstan has apparently answered that question for itself by jettisoning the Americans in favour of Russia. The US base has been controversial in Kyrgyzstan. There were disputes over fuel dumping, the shooting of a Kyrgyzstan citizen by an American base guard and the rent paid by the Americans. In 2007, Kyrgyzstan raised the rent from $2m a year to about $63m a year, and the US provides a total aid package to the country of about $150m a year. While Kyrgyzstan officials frequently complained about the base, US officials believed it was just a bargaining technique, intended to drive up the price. (Russia has its own airbase in Kyrgyzstan, for which it pays no rent.)

I was in Kyrgyzstan about 18 months ago, and one diplomat told me: “I don’t think Kyrgyzstan is interested in driving out the base. … The US is providing about $150m a year in aid, and they have to expect that if the airbase leaves some of that will disappear, and Russia and China won’t be able to compensate for it.” Well, Russia has called America’s bluff, again.

The base is a supply hub for US operations in Afghanistan, and the implications of its closure on the US effort there would likely be dire. The US has already been kicked out of one base in Central Asia, the Karshi-Khanabad air base in Uzbekistan. And the US – about to double its footprint in Afghanistan – was already struggling to figure out how to get the extra supplies there, even before Kyrgyzstan’s announcement.

Which makes the apparent Russian hand behind this move all the more puzzling. Conventional wisdom about the base said that Russia, while occasionally complaining about it in public, privately wanted it to stay. Russia was just as afraid of Islamist extremism as was the US, this logic went, and was perfectly happy to have the US spending its blood and treasure defeating the Taliban.

According to Russia’s Nato representative, that logic has now been reversed, arguing that the US presence in Afghanistan is actually fomenting instability there: “Americans’ failure in Afghanistan is creating a bigger threat to neighbouring countries. Military actions, which are being aimed against civilians, helped those who were not going to take sides with the Taliban movement and other extremists,” he said, by way of explaining the Kyrgyzstan government’s decision.

It’s not clear whether we should take this statement at face value. Were Churchill alive for Putin’s Russia, he surely would have added a couple extra layers of inscrutability to the “riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma” line. The second part of Churchill’s quote, though, is less often remembered: “But perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.” Russia has apparently decided that thwarting the US military presence in Central Asia is now more in its interest than supporting the US in Afghanistan.

But Kyrgyzstan should be able to stand up to Russian threats or bribery, as long as it has a little backup. What the US showed in Georgia, though, is that in the end Kyrgyzstan is on its own.

Kyrgyzstan shows US the door

 

[TruthSeeker]

Well, as the Chinese say:
No tickee, no laundry!

Obviously the US has to pay more. Wouldn't be surprised that if we do, Vladmir Putin will get 10% of it directly into his Swiss account.

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

Pakistan could stop NATO supplies, but our politicians lack the political will to do so. so much for the peoples' choice. these politicians destroyed Pakistan's economy within just two months, making Pakistan even more dependent on US aid through the IMF.

 

[ejaz007]

Kyrgyz parliament to vote on US base next week

BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan’s parliament will vote next week on whether to shut a US airbase, which is an important staging post for US troops fighting in Afghanistan, Kyrgyz officials said on Thursday.

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said on Tuesday Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic and a traditional Russian ally, would close the Manas base after he secured Russian financial aid at talks in Moscow. The government needs parliamentary approval to proceed with the closure but this is seen as a formality as the chamber is controlled by a pro-presidential party. A simple majority of votes is needed. “We have included this issue in our February agenda,” said Avtandil Arabayev, deputy head of the ruling Ak-Zhol party.

“We did consider the possibility of voting on it tomorrow but according to the rules it will be voted on next week.” Other deputies said the assembly was all but certain to vote in favour of Bakiyev’s decision. “I have no doubt about this,” said Erik Arsaliyev, head of the foreign affairs committee. Kyrgyzstan’s move to shut the base sets a tough challenge for new US President Barack Obama, who plans to send additional troops to Afghanistan.

The base has been used as a staging post by US-led forces fighting Taliban and Al Qaeda militants in Afghanistan and the Kyrgyz move comes as Washington seeks to reinforce supply routes that bypass Pakistan, where convoys face security risks. reuters

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[kidwaibhai]

is the kyrgyz parliament really autonomous body or is it just like the russian parliament with out any real power or for that matter our parliament during the time of musharaf. i think the russian dont want the US to move into central asia and they are playing hard ball with the new administration.

 

[maximus]

Kyrgyzstan says U.S. air base decision is final

By Olga Dzyubenko

BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan said Friday its decision to shut a U.S. air base was final, dealing a blow to Washington's efforts to retain what has been a major staging post for U.S. forces fighting in Afghanistan.

Thursday, the United States said it was still in talks with Kyrgyzstan about keeping the Manas base in the mainly Muslim, impoverished former Soviet republic and traditional Russian ally.

"The decision has been made," said Kyrgyz government spokesman Aibek Sultangaziyev. "The U.S. embassy and the (Kyrgyz) Foreign Ministry are exchanging opinions on this, but there are no discussions on keeping the base."

Kyrgyzstan's stance has set a tough challenge for new U.S. President Barack Obama, who plans to send additional troops to Afghanistan to try and boost NATO efforts to defeat Taliban and al Qaeda insurgents.

The United States, also seeking to reinforce supply routes to Afghanistan that bypass Pakistan where convoys face security risks, says it is still hopeful the base can be retained. "We're still very much engaged," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman.

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced the closure of the base earlier this week after securing more than $2 billion in financial aid and credit from Russia during talks in Moscow.

RUSSIAN POSITION

Russia, irked by the U.S. military presence in Kyrgyzstan which it regards as part of its strategic sphere of interest, has long exerted pressure on the small, landlocked and mountainous Central Asian country to evict the U.S. forces.

NATO says it is concerned about Russia's possible involvement in the Kyrgyz decision. Moscow, which operates its own military base in Kyrgyzstan, has strongly denied any link between its aid package and the move to shut Manas.

Asked if Washington had made any additional offers over the base, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov said: "We have not received any proposals." He says Kyrgyzstan wants to shut the base because it disagrees with U.S. methods in Afghanistan.

The Kyrgyz government needs parliamentary approval to proceed with the closure, but this is seen as a formality as the chamber is controlled by a pro-presidential party. A simple majority of votes is needed.

Officials have said parliament will vote next week.

The Russian aid package, due to be approved by parliament on Friday, includes a $1.7 billion discounted loan to help Kyrgyzstan build a hydroelectric power plant.

A Western diplomatic source said Thursday the United States was close to a deal with Kyrgyzstan's neighbor Uzbekistan that would allow Washington to open a new supply route for its troops in Afghanistan.

Russia, while blowing cold on the U.S. military presence in Central Asia, has politically backed the NATO effort in Afghanistan. Moscow says it will be flexible to U.S. requests for supplies to be allowed to cross its territory.

(Writing by Maria Golovnina; Editing by Ralph Gowling)

Source: Kyrgyzstan says U.S. air base decision is final | International | Reuters

 

[araz]

Pakistan could stop NATO supplies, but our politicians lack the political will to do so. so much for the peoples' choice. these politicians destroyed Pakistan's economy within just two months, making Pakistan even more dependent on US aid through the IMF.

Idont think it would be possible for us to close these bases once we have given them the facility unless they do something stupid. I think , and this is purely my hunch, so dont quote me on this___ there is some miscief going on with the attacks on convoys coming, to put pressure on US to be a bit more giving. This is a very serious game of tooing and froing with many intonations, which may not be known to us. it may even be possible that the whole issue of unrest in NWFP is a twin edged sword being utilized by both parties to drive their point home.
However, if this supposition is true, then this is a risky game as firends of today can easily become major inconviniences for tomorrow. So the question really is whether the present culling is a selective affair or is it alleviation of a major sore in the side of our nation?
WaSalam
Araz

 

[gpit]

It’s market stuff again.

Does the base worth 150m in Kyrgyzstan? Not to us ordinary people.

Frankly, Afghanistan war isn’t worthy even a penny. It wastes huge taxpayers’ money. It only serves as professional warlords’ and weapon-lords’ delight.

Let Russia pay 2b for it.

 

[Ghareeb_Da_Baal]

I guess, USA has realized, the hard way how indispensable Pakistan is.
Now everyone is back to playing ball.................... life is a lesson!

 

[Metallic]

Tajikistan ready to help US with Afghanistan supplies
6 February 2009

Tajikistan said Friday it was ready to allow US and NATO supplies for Afghanistan to transit its territory, after neighbouring Kyrgyzstan ordered the closure of a vital American airbase. Skip related content

The decision by the Kyrgyz government to shut down the Manas airbase has troubled Washington, which had used the facility as a vital route for flying in supplies for coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon said after meeting the US ambassador that his country was ready to allow supplies including construction materials, medicines, fuel and water to transit its soil by road.

"Tajikistan is ready to offer the United States and NATO countries help with the transit of humanitarian and commercial supplies to Afghanistan," he said in a statement.

He said the supplies would be of a non-military nature and should be not just for the benefit of coalition forces.

"They should be destined not only for the military but it is also important they are used for the reconstruction of Afghanistan," he added.

US ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson said the transit would take place by land and would employ a new bridge over the Panj river funded by Washington that opened in August 2007 and links the south of Tajikistan with Afghanistan.

She said a delegation from the United States would soon come to Tajikistan to discuss the issue.

Tajikistan, an impoverished former Soviet republic that is currently experiencing severe electricity shortages, has a 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) border with Afghanistan.

The US has been seeking to increase the number of supply routes to Afghanistan, including in post-Soviet Central Asia, as extremist attacks have plagued the main transport corridor through Pakistan.

But its ambitions were dealt a severe blow when the Kyrgyz president announced on a visit to Moscow that he would order the closure of the base.

His announcement came the same day Russia announced a loan and aid package worth over two billion dollars for his country.

The Kyrgyz government said Friday the closure decision was final and it was now in talks with the Americans about when exactly it will be shut down.

"The government of Kyrgyzstan has taken its final decision about the closure of the American airbase," government spokesman Aibek Sultangaziev told AFP.

"The issue is now with parliament which must cancel the agreement on the base with the United States."

The head of the Kyrgyz national security council, Adakhan Madumarov, also scotched US hopes of talks to change Bishkek's mind, saying there were "no negotiations with the American side over the bases."

"The fate of the air base has been decided," he said.

The Manas base, operated by about 1,000 troops including small French and Spanish contingents, was set up to support coalition forces fighting to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the decision "regrettable" Thursday but said US operations in the region would continue to be effective.

The closure of the base would strain US supply lines at a time when President Barack Obama is preparing to nearly double the 36,000-strong force in Afghanistan.

But Russia also said that it would allow the transit of non-military supplies as soon as the US detailed what items needed to move across its soil for NATO forces in Afghanistan.

"As soon as that happens we will give the corresponding permission," said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to Russian news agencies.

He said this permission would activate an agreement signed in April 2008 between Russia and NATO for the transit of non-military supplies across Russian territory for NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Lavrov also played down the importance of the Kyrgyz base closure for NATO forces. "There are a mass of possibilities about how to increase the potential of the anti-terrorist coalition," he said.

Source: AFP

 

[zavis2003]

I think Pakistan is not in position to cut down the supply of NATO>
we needs Dollars and DOLLARS means Looks toward AMERICA

 

[zavis2003]

And dont Expects from ur Leadership that it would take a bold step

sorry to say we are baggers
baggers have no policies.
Baggers live at the money of other
To make independent policies needs independence from aid

All of u just write one thing with you.
We cant make our policies really coz we have more expenditure then earning
We are alive at aid
I am not going to degrade my country But my people
All of us are responsible
All of US
ok
We choose the leadership and then we says it is BAD
Our leaders live in CASTLES
while poor has not evenna cootage
cottage




If you want to make a decision like KRIGHIZ president
First make independence on your decisions
we knows we have no money but our elite class goes in VVIP plan

PAKISTAN AIR FORCE has 4 VVIP planes . this is for what?
for poor people?
there is no justice inthe country
no justice for Cheif justice
now then who we are to get our rights?

 

[zavis2003]

i am not blaming the politicians
i am blaming my self , my collegue
all nation
They give vote on the basis of CAST, region etc and Demands from that choosed Leadership to act boldly
Shame on me And shame on all of Pakistanis , the one who vote and one who remains in home ios responsible
We are responsible for all our problem
We are all cracked people
we are corrupt people
The one who is silent
the one who is breaking law
the one who is not on his duty

And worst part of our stupidity is that
we as political Workers give the lives for other
for ones
who dont care about us
after any election
And atlast DONT ASK FROM LEADERSHIP TOHAVE BOLD DICISSION ON TERROR OR ANY OTHER ISSUES
FIRST TAKE A BOLD DECISSION BY YOURSELF
when every PAKISTANI ll b BOLD THAN LEADERSHIP WOULD BE BOLD