Posted on 07/05/2005 11:49:21 PM PDT by familyop
Leaders of a six-nation security bloc led by Beijing and Moscow called for a deadline to be set for the withdrawal of US forces from bases in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
The presidents of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which comprises Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and China, signed a declaration calling for deadlines to be set on the closure of airbases used by US forces in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
"Considering that the active phase of the military anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan has finished, member states... consider it essential that the relevant participants in the anti-terrorist coalition set deadlines on the temporary use" of bases in the SCO area, the declaration read.
The two main coalition bases, one at Karshi-Khanabad in Uzbekistan, the other at Manas in Kyrgyzstan, have each been used to support US-led operations in Afghanistan since 2001.
Germany also has a few hundred military personnel, most of them engineering and medical staff, at a separate base in Uzbekistan, Termez, while a few hundred French forces work from Tajikistan's main airport in Dushanbe.
The declaration also included a call for "non-interference in the internal afairs of sovereign states," seemingly a swipe at growing Western influence in Central Asia, which Moscow has long considered its sphere of influence.
Analysts see the declaration as a blow to US moves to set up a security line across Central Asia to protect vital oil interests and create a barrier against growing terrorism in the region.
The SCO summit marks the first such gathering since popular protests toppled Askar Akayev's regime in Kyrgyzstan in March and a military crackdown in Uzbekistan in May in which hundreds of people are feared to have died.
The leaders' declaration reflects repeated complaints by leaders such as Uzbek President Islam Karimov who have suggested that the West was behind uprisings in three former Soviet republics in the last two years, Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.
The demand for deadlines for the base closures comes despite a recent assurance made by Kyrgyz interim President Kurmanbek Bakiyev that his country would honor existing agreements on maintaining foreign bases in the country.
It reflects ongoing rivalry between Washington and Moscow over their countries' respective roles in the former Soviet Union, as the United States has been pressuring Russia to withdraw leftover bases from Georgia.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1455817/posts
"Old enemies' wargames send a powerful message to the US - Russia, China to sign massive arms deal"
Times Online ^ | August 03, 2005 | Jane Macartney
Posted on 08/02/2005 8:15:11 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "RUSSIA will show off its most modern bombers to its best military customer and China will have a chance to demonstrate that it is a force to be reckoned with when the giant neighbours hold their first joint military exercises this month.
The decision to hold the drills off the east China coast in the Yellow Sea came after a disagreement over Beijing’s initial desire for the games to take place further south, opposite the island of Taiwan — which it hopes one day to recover, by force if necessary."
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1463997/posts
Uzbekistan signals
Washington Times ^ | August 14, 2005 | Christopher Brown
Posted on 08/15/2005 5:15:08 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of China's statement is the phrase "terrorism, separatism and extremism." That phrase is one of the key rhetorical foundations of military cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The SCO is perhaps the most dangerous organization most Americans have never heard of. It is headquartered in Beijing and consists of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India, Iran, Pakistan and Mongolia currently enjoy observer status in preparation for full membership.
On July 5 at the annual meeting of the leaders of the member states, there was a joint statement issued that included the demand for a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from SCO member nations.
That same day the United States responded by saying "our presence [in the SCO member states] . . . is determined by the terms of our bilateral agreements" -- in effect, ignoring the significance of the SCO and the joint statement signed by Mr. Karimov himself. Within 24 hours, the Uzbekistan foreign ministry reiterated that it was seriously reconsidering the presence of United States forces on Uzbek soil.
There is, of course, another part to this story. Two weeks after the riots in Uzbekistan at the end of May, Mr. Karimov visited Beijing. He left China with a series of agreements for contracts worth over $1.5 billion. Two weeks after the July statement from the Uzbekistan Foreign Ministry, the Chinese energy company Sinopec announced an additional $106 million investment in Uzbekistan. Ten days later, Uzbekistan announced the eviction of U.S. forces, which have been supporting counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan. They will leave behind a completely modern base, upgraded at the cost to American taxpayers of millions of dollars, which can be used by either Russia or China.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Joanie-f and all, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) consists of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India, Iran, Pakistan and Mongolia currently enjoy observer status in preparation for full membership.
Sounds far too familiar...like the Coalition of Asian states. I am afriad we are staring at Wolrd War in the not too distant future if we are not tremndously vigilant and if our leaders do not act strongly now to dry up and stop funding th buildup in preparation for eventual conflict.
Just my SWAG but this was our plan all along to get a land bridge access to mainland china from multiple directions. As I suggested the other day the Chinese are hearing footsteps and the Russians are taking their wal mart dollars to assist as needed..... I like it when these son of a peach grabbers get nervous.
I wonder what happened to all that seeing-into-his-soul stuff President Bush said about Put king.
Nah really. Why can't the U.S. and Russia work together against our common enemy - Islamic Terror? Or... is it not our common enemy? What is the deal?
Have you seen the movie Deterrence?
US to Russia and China: Blow me.
China, Russia Flaunt Forces in Joint Military Maneuvers
L.A. TIMES ^ | August 16, 2005 | Mark Magnier and Kim Murphy, Times Staff Writers
Posted on 08/16/2005 11:47:16 PM PDT by twinself
BEIJING -- As they prepare to join forces for their largest military exercise in modern history, China and Russia have billed this week's maneuvers as a cooperative fight against terrorism. But they're also sending a message to Washington, analysts say: Don't push the two former Cold War adversaries too far.
The eight-day exercise, which is set to begin Thursday, will be the most extensive since Beijing and Moscow fought together against U.S.-led forces during the Korean War half a century ago. Originally billed as a modest exercise when proposed last year, it has grown in scope to include nearly 10,000 troops using a range of sophisticated weapons systems.
"I can't help but think it's intended as a bit of a poke in the eye at the U.S., a way of [China] saying, 'We do have good relations with Russia,'." said Eric McVadon, a retired U.S. admiral and Asia-Pacific director at the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis in Washington.
Moscow and Beijing said in their respective announcements this month that their Peace Mission 2005 exercise will kick off in the Russian Far East port of Vladivostok but will take place largely in and around China's Shandong peninsula, and is aimed at countering terrorism, extremism and separatism.
"Part of the exercise is beach landing and sea-air deployment, which has nothing to do with fighting terrorism," said Ni Lexiong, a military expert teaching at Shanghai Normal University. "Generally, it's being held because of the long-term U.S. aggressive military stance toward China and Russia."
Even as the Bush administration expresses growing concern about China's military buildup, Beijing and Moscow have bridled at America's recent moves in their backyard.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Url for post no. 50
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While we are at it, we can leave this hole called Iraq. What a worthless nation. Maybe we can build bases around the oil reserves and pumps and leave the rest of the nation to them.
Putin is insane, he wants war and is preparing for war with West.
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