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Note: The following text is a quote: Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, November 23, 2009 Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Supply U.S. Fighter Jet Engines to Iran Jacques Monsieur, a Belgian national and resident of France suspected of international arms dealing for decades, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama to conspiracy to illegally export F-5 fighter jet engines and parts from the Untied States to Iran. Monsieur along with Dara Fotouhi, aka Dara Fatouhi, an Iranian national currently living in France, was charged in a...

SNIPPET: "A year after the events in Nookat shone a spotlight on the role of women in Hizb ut-Tahrir, a new report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) indicates that the Islamic organization might have thousands of women members in Kyrgyzstan. In its recent report, "Women and Radicalization in Kyrgyzstan," the ICG states that Hizb ut-Tahrir "may have up to 8,000 members" in the country, "perhaps 800 to 2,000 of them women."" SNIPPET: "Hizb ut-Tahrir first emerged in the region in the 1990s with the recruitment of members in Uzbekistan. Today the movement is banned in all of the countries...

China is becoming concerned by the increased presence of the United States in Afghanistan and is complaining about the U.S. lease renewal at the Manas Air Base in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, suggesting that these activities are part of an overall containment effort against China, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin. The complaint comes at the same time Chinese officials have expressed alarm over what they view as a growing alliance between the U.S. and India, which they perceive as designed to alter the Asian strategic balance in what Beijing always has regarded as its sphere of influence.

Bishkek, September 23, Interfax - Kyrgyzstan's Security Council wants the Supreme Court to weigh up a ban on Tablighi Jamaat as an organization posing "a threat to national security," local media reported on Wednesday. The Prosecutor General's office early this year filed a lawsuit with a district court in Bishkek to demand that Tablighi Jamaat be entered on the list of extremist and terror organizations.

Note: The following text is a quote: International Arms Dealer Arrested for Conspiracy to Supply U.S. Fighter Jet Engines to Iran Jacques Monsieur, a Belgian national and resident of France suspected of international arms dealing for decades, has been arrested on charges alleging that he conspired to illegally export F-5 fighter jet engines and parts from the United States to Iran. Monsieur is scheduled to have his arraignment today in federal court in Mobile, Alabama. A six-count indictment returned on Aug. 27, 2009, in the Southern District of Alabama charging Monsieur, 56, and co-defendant Dara Fotouhi, aka Dara Fatouhi, 54,...

19 August 2009, 11:48 SNIPPET: "Bishkek, August 19, Interfax - The Hizb ut-Tahrir organization, which is officially outlawed in Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries, has stepped up its activities in penitentiaries across Kyrgyzstan, which has led to an increase in the number of its supporters among convicts, Kyrgyz expert Kadyr Malikov said. "There has been a sharp rise in the number of supporters of the Hizb ut-Tahrir extremist organization in the system of the Justice Ministry's Chief Penitentiary Institutions Department," Malikov, who is director of Kyrgyzstan's analytical and research center of religion, law and politics, told journalists on Wednesday."...

7/28/2009 - MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) -- Thought not traditional Air Force linguists, two multilingual Airmen bring a unique skill to Manas Air Base. Capt. Jecek Dempnaik and Staff Sgt. Maria Hudgeons, who speak a combined seven languages, reduce communication barriers between Air Force members and coalition forces through written translations and verbal interpretations. They are the ears and eyes to the director of the Transit Center here. When acting in this capacity, they are referred to as the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing coalition coordinators and linguists. Shifting tongues between English, French and Spanish is as easy as breathing...

7/17/2009 - MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) -- The special effects and streaming lights on the stage were not as bright as the smiles that illuminated the faces of audience members during the Tops In Blue's debut of the 2009 "To Dream" tour July 10 at the Transit Center at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. The group's performance was a dream come true for deployed Tech. Sgt. Patrika Boone; not because she hadn't seen the group perform before, but rather she was seeing her husband perform on stage for the first time. Staff Sgt. Wendell Boone Jr is a lead vocalist...

State-run Chinese media say police have arrested 1,434 suspects in the deadly ethnic riots in the western Xinjiang region. Officials released no other details. The White House says it is deeply concerned over the deadly violence in and has called for restraint. Chinese officials say at least 156 people were killed and more than 800 hurt in riots between ethic Uighurs and police in Xinjiang. Monday's fighting grew out of what witnesses say was a peaceful anti-government protest by Uighurs Sunday. No one is sure what led the march to explode into violence. But Chinese officials accuse exiled Uighur groups...

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2009 – The Kyrgyz parliament today ratified an agreement between the United States and Kyrgyzstan to extend U.S. access to Manas Air Base, a key logistics hub that supplies troops in Afghanistan, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman confirmed today. The agreement must now go to Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev for signature. “It’s not a done deal until the president signs it,” Whitman said. “Out of respect for their processes, we’ve been trying to give them the time and space to give this the consideration that it needs.” The agreement provides for a transit center at Manas International Airport,...

The United States and Kyrgyzstan signed a deal on the transit of non-military cargo to Afghanistan that will effectively keep open a US airbase Bishkek had ordered closed, officials said Tuesday. Kyrgyzstan had troubled Washington by ordering the closure of the airbase at Manas, a key transit point for Afghanistan operations, just as US President Barack Obama was seeking to intensify the campaign against the Taliban. Under the deal worth more than 170 million dollars, the rent for the base -- now called a "transit centre" -- will be more than tripled, but limits are to be imposed on its...

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2009 – The Kyrgyz parliament is expected to vote in the coming days on agreements reached between the United States and Kyrgyzstan governments to extend U.S. access to Manas Air Base, a logistics hub that supplies troops in Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell confirmed today. While emphasizing that the United States is “not counting our chickens before they are hatched,” Morrell expressed hope that the deal will go through. If ratified, the agreements would provide for a transit center at Manas International Airport, operated by the United States, to provide logistical support to coalition forces in...

CAIRO, Egypt -- A Kyrgyz deal with the United States to keep a U.S. air base open was agreed with Russia, a Kremlin official said Thursday. "We support all steps aimed at stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan," said the official accompanying President Dmitry Medvedev in Egypt. But Kommersant quoted an unidentified Russian diplomat as saying Moscow felt that it had been tricked by Kyrgyzstan over the base and would make an "adequate response" to the deal. The United States has agreed to pay $180 million to keep open the Manas air base after haggling with Kyrgyzstan since February, when the...

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia was tricked by Kyrgyzstan over a deal with the United States to keep open a key air base in Central Asia, a Russian diplomat was quoted as saying by local media on Wednesday. ... The Kommersant newspaper quoted an unidentified Russian diplomat as saying Moscow viewed the U.S. move as a trick and that Russia would soon make an "adequate response" to the deal.

Kyrgyzstan has reversed a Russian order to evict the US military from an airbase close to Afghanistan in a significant foreign policy victory for Barack Obama. After winning major financial concessions from Washington, the Kyrgyz government said it had agreed to allow the US Air Force to retain control of the Manas Airbase for at least one more year. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev The move, which comes a fortnight before Mr Obama visits Moscow, was welcomed by the United States, which has emphasised the base's importance in the campaign to defeat the Taliban. "We applaud the decision by the Kyrgyz Republic...

Kyrgyzstan has reversed a Russian order to evict the US military from an airbase close to Afghanistan in a significant foreign policy victory for Barack Obama. After winning major financial concessions from Washington, the Kyrgyz government said it had agreed to allow the US Air Force to retain control of the Manas Airbase for at least one more year. The move, which comes a fortnight before Mr Obama visits Moscow, was welcomed by the United States, which has emphasised the base's importance in the campaign to defeat the Taliban.

The U.S. military has now started preparing to leave the Manas base in Bishkek as part of its anticipated eviction, according to Colonel Christopher Bence, the newly-appointed commander of the airbase. The United States military will vacate Manas by August 18, as the Kyrgyz regime first officially demanded in February. A KC-135 of U.S Air Force takes off from Manas U.S. air base near Bishkek Despite these latest developments, the Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev might still overturn his decision to shut the base. The final verdict is contingent on a possible agreement between the U.S. President Barack Obama and his...

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan -- One at a time the government's top critics seemed to go to jail, or simply disappear.Syrgak Abdyldayev, a local journalist, began to investigate whether the attacks had anything to do with a team of Russian-speaking specialists who arrived last year to advise the Kyrgyz government. He published several scathing articles accusing the government of shunting aside its opponents and turning to Moscow for financial support, including one in February that likened Russian aid to "oxygen for a sinking submarine."Then Mr. Abdyldayev became a victim. Three men attacked him with metal pipes as he left his newspaper one...

Not to deny President Obama's diplomatic charms, but they seem lost on the world's harder cases. The latest is Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian nation of five million that has been home to a U.S. air base at Manas, a critical transit center to supply troops in Afghanistan. In February, hours after securing $2 billion in aid from Russia, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced -- in Moscow no less -- that the U.S. will have to leave by August 18. Mr. Obama this week sent a confidential letter to the Kyrgyz leader implicitly asking him to reconsider by "expressing his gratitude...

5/14/2009 - MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) -- Ten Airmen from Manas Air Base visited the Umut-Nadjeshda Children's Rehabilitation Center in Bishkek May 9 to help fix the center for more than 60 local children. The off-duty Airmen painted playground equipment, installed a new stove and to make other improvements to the center for the youths aged 2 to 21. Before arriving, the Airmen stopped at a local home decorating store and picked up some paint and a new stove for their fourth visit to the center since January. Upon arrival, the Airmen were greeted with smiles, and one child...

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2009 – The United States could be nearing a deal with the Kyrgyzstan government to extend U.S. access to Manas Air Base, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today. Morrell reported progress in negotiations he called “reason for hope” about reversing Kyrgyzstan’s previous decision regarding the base. Kyrgyzstan’s foreign ministry notified the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek in February that it had six months to leave Manas, a major logistical and refueling center that supports troops in Afghanistan, About 15,000 troops and 500 tons of cargo move through the base every month. The decision was to end...

BISHKEK, April 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Su-25 Frogfoot close air support aircraft will take part on Saturday in the active phase of the military exercises conducted by Kyrgyzstan's Armed Forces, the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry said. Kyrgyzstan is holding Security-2009 tactical exercises in the south of the country, which involve over 500 servicemen, armored vehicles self-propelled artillery and aircraft. The exercises with live-firing drills are aimed at practicing counterterrorism operations. "A flight of Su-25 attack aircraft from the Kant airbase and Kyrgyz Air Force Mi-24 helicopters will provide aerial fire support during the drills, the ministry said in a statement....

Millions of people in Central Asia were plunged into darkness on Wednesday night as a malfunction in the regional electricity grid caused a massive blackout in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz officials said. The southern part of Kazakhstan, including the commercial hub Almaty, and northern Kyrgyzstan have been affected, Kyrgyz Energy Minister Ilyas Davydov told Reuters, adding the cause of the blackout remained unknown. "We are looking into it," Davydov said. A spokeswoman for the Kyrgyz electricity distribution firm Severelektro said the malfunction occurred on a high-voltage line connected to Kyrgyzstan's main hydroelectric plant. In Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city with a...

BISHKEK, April 2 (RIA Novosti) - Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed on Thursday a law to end the deployment of foreign military contingents at the Manas airbase in the north of the country, the president's press service said. The law, which terminates agreements with Australia, Denmark, Italy, Spain, South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Turkey and France, was passed by an overwhelming majority in parliament on March 6. Bakiyev signed a decree to close the Manas airbase on February 20. Kyrgyzstan officially notified Washington about the termination of the agreement on a U.S. military presence at the base,...

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2009 – A meeting of chiefs of defense here re-emphasizes the shared commitments of Central Asia and the United States to security and stability in the region, the commander of U.S. Central Command said here today. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus told the defense chiefs from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan that the meeting will help all involved better address their common interests. Combating extremism and the spread of extremism from Afghanistan and Pakistan is at the top of the list of priorities, the general said. “[This means] that all of us have to...

3/20/2009 - MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) -- The 376th Air Expeditionary Wing's fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers here delivers more than fuel to the fight in Afghanistan these days as it is revolutionizing the way war is fought by serving as a data network relay high above the battlefield. At first glance, the cluster of cases mounted in the back of Manas Air Base's 50-year-old KC-135s does not look very revolutionary, but the innovative system and its use on a refueling tanker employs the Roll-On-Beyond-Line-Of-Sight-Enhancement, or ROBE, system. Developed by Northrop Grumman in 2003, ROBE is a communication system that...

Last month, the Kremlin dangled $2 billion in economic aid to prod Kyrgyz leaders to shut down Manas, the air base the U.S. uses to shuttle troops into and out of Afghanistan and refuel military aircraft. The response from Bishkek was swift. On Feb. 19, the Kyrgyz parliament gave the U.S. 180 days to leave Manas. .... At a time when the world's financial crisis has most countries hunkering down, Russia is parlaying the global meltdown into a lever for expanding its influence in Central Asia and other former Soviet republics that the Kremlin regards as its "near abroad." The...

3/9/2009 - MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) -- Loaded with boxes filled with stuffed animals, snacks and 10 shiny new faucets, Manas Air Base Airmen made a visit to Bishkek's National Center of Oncology, or Children's Cancer Center. Dozens of smiling children, afflicted with life threatening cancer illnesses, waved through the curtained windows of their hospital rooms as the Manas Air Base Outreach Society volunteers pulled up to the center. "I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I visited the children the first time," said Airman 1st Class Adam McDonough, assigned to the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. "It...

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=53359 Pentagon Spokesman Addresses Afghanistan, Mexico, Other Key Issues By Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 5, 2009 – A senior Pentagon spokesman offered gratitude to Canada and touched on a variety of other topics in a wide-ranging news conference today. Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said the United States and the Defense Department appreciate the military support Canada has provided for operations in Afghanistan. “The Canadian military has been an invaluable partner in southern Afghanistan,” he said. “Their nearly 3,000 forces are among the bravest and the most effective in...

Kyrgyzstan's president has told the BBC "the doors are not closed" concerning talks over the US airbase which is due to close. The Manas base is critical to US and Nato operations in Afghanistan. Kurmanbek Bakiyev said negotiations with Washington would have to take a different format, and cover new conditions of use. His latest remarks, the first since announcing the closure last month, have yet to draw an American response. President Bakiyev said the old agreement on the use of the base was no longer valid but Kyrgyzstan was open to negotiation. "We are ready for any new proposals...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2009 – Kyrgyzstan has given the United States six months to leave Manas Air Base, but discussions continue for a longer U.S. presence there, a Pentagon official said today. The Kyrgyz foreign ministry today officially notified the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek that a 180-day withdrawal process is under way, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. But U.S. officials don’t consider the military’s future at Manas, a key logistics hub for military forces in Afghanistan, a “closed matter,” and will continue discussions with Kyrgyzstan about remaining at the base, he said. “We will continue our discussions with the...

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyzstan's president signed a bill Friday to close a key U.S. air base used to stage military operations in Afghanistan, the final step before authorities issue a 180-day eviction order. Kurmanbek Bakiyev's signing of the legislation — which Washington suspects Russia of backing — will lead to the United States being given 180 days to vacate the Manas air base, a transit point for 15,000 troops and 500 tons of cargo each month to and from Afghanistan.

The Biden prophecy has come to pass. Our wacky veep, momentarily inspired, had predicted last October that "it will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama." Biden probably had in mind an eve-of-the-apocalypse drama like the Cuban Missile Crisis. Instead, Obama's challenges have come in smaller bites. Some are deliberate threats to U.S. interests, others mere probes to ascertain whether the new president has any spine. Preliminary X-rays aren't encouraging. Consider the long list of brazen Russian provocations: (a) Pressuring Kyrgyzstan to shut down the U.S. air base in Manas, an absolutely crucial NATO conduit into Afghanistan....

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2009 – Kyrgyzstan’s parliament voted today to close Manas Air Base, a key logistics hub for the U.S. military, but a senior Pentagon official said the base closure would not affect operations in Afghanistan. “[Manas Air Base] is an important base for operations in Afghanistan, but it’s not irreplaceable,” Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters here today. “If it’s not available to us, we’ll find other means.” Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev still must sign the bill for the eviction to be official. If he signs the bill, troops will have 180 days to withdraw, based on...

As President Obama begins his fourth week in the White House, foreign rivals and erstwhile allies already have begun to challenge U.S. interests abroad. On Friday, Pakistan - the recipient of billions of dollars in U.S. aid - released from house arrest Abdul Qadeer Khan, the nuclear scientist who for two decades ran a black market that sold nuclear-weapons technology to U.S. adversaries including Iran and Libya. Two days earlier, Kyrgyzstan announced that it would not renew a U.S. lease at the Manas air base, a critical transshipment point in the Afghanistan war. Meanwhile, the Russians - who offered Kyrgyzstan...

MOSCOW -- Russia is reasserting its role in Central Asia with a Kremlin push to eject the U.S. from a vital air base, along with a Moscow-led pact to form an international military force to rival NATO. The moves potentially complicate the new U.S. war strategy in Afghanistan. The moves mark Russia's most aggressive steps yet to counter a U.S. military presence in the region that it has long resented. They pose a challenge for the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, which sees Afghanistan as its top foreign-policy priority and is preparing to double the size of the American...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2009 – The United States hopes to continue operations at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan, but would use other means to support troops in Afghanistan if the Kyrgyz government goes through with plans to close it, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today. Neither the State Department nor the Defense Department has received official word that Kyrgyzstan plans to discontinue its three-year arrangement with the United States, Whitman told Pentagon reporters. But Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev reportedly announced plans to close the base yesterday after meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow. News reports said Medvedev...

Russia has embarked on a risky political game with new U.S. President Barack Obama by forcing its ally Kyrgyzstan to close a U.S. military base while keeping up overtures to establish warmer relations with Washington. The Manas air base near the capital of the Central Asian state is a key supply centre for U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan, a campaign that Obama has set as a key priority. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev standing alongside Russia's Dmitry Medvedev at a news conference in Moscow, said on Tuesday he would close the base after securing a vital rescue package of over $2...

MOSCOW, February 3 (RIA Novosti) - Kyrgyzstan will demand the closure of a U.S. military base on its territory, used to support antiterrorism operations in neighboring Afghanistan, the Central Asian state's president said on Tuesday. Kurmanbek Bakiyev is on a two-day visit in Moscow, where he also secured deals to write off Kyrgyzstan's $180 million debt and to receive a $2 billion discounted loan and $150 million in financial aid from Russia. "The Kyrgyz government has taken a decision to terminate the rent of the base," Bakiyev told a news conference after talks with Russia's Dmitry Medvedev, citing Washington's refusal...

KABUL – U.S. troops in Afghanistan saw their supply lines squeezed from the north and east Tuesday after militants blew up a bridge in Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan's government said it would end American use of a key air base following Russia's announcement of new aid. Securing efficient and safe supply routes into Afghanistan has become a top priority for U.S. officials as the Pentagon prepares to send in up to 30,000 more American soldiers this year. Some 75 percent of U.S. supplies travel through Pakistan, where militants have stepped up attacks on truck convoys destined for U.S. bases...

The State Department has denied reports that the government of Kyrgyzstan plans to close the U.S. air base at Manas that serves as a key hub for troops and supplies headed to troops in Afghanistan. "I’m not sure how this got started or who started such a rumor, but it is not true," Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman, said at a Thursday news briefing. "Our charge d’affairs confirmed the fact that the Kyrgyz government is not taking such a step with the office of the [Kyrgyz] president." A second U.S. official confirmed the information with the Kyrgyz Ministry of...

MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan, Dec. 11, 2008 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stopped briefly here today on his way to Afghanistan, but took time in a town-hall session to talk with a few hundred airmen and soldiers stationed at this dusty, remote way station. This austere outpost is a main air hub into Afghanistan, providing aerial refueling, combat airdrops, medical evacuation and strategic airlift. This year, nearly 120,000 people have passed through the base. Gates had only a few minutes to speak, but said he wanted to personally thank the troops for their efforts. “Without you, operations in the...

12/1/2008 - MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFNS) -- Manas Airmen, in conjunction with U.S. Embassy personnel in Bishkek, hosted a small ceremony Nov. 25 in which 31,680 meals-ready-to-eat and more than 100 cold weather sleeping bags were provided to the Kyrgyz Republic's Ministry of Emergency Situations, or MES, to help local Kyrgyz who may need assistance during the coming winter. Col. Christopher Bence, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, and Tatiana Gfeoller, the U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, presided over the event on behalf of the United States. Mr. Akyl Aitbaev, the MES deputy minister, accepted the aid on behalf...

MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan, Nov. 6, 2008 – Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kelman Khersonsky recalls spending summers in his youth as a Pioneer “scout” of the Soviet Union at Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Lake. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kelman Khersonsky refuels an aircraft over Afghanistan during one of the last refueling missions of his deployment to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, Oct. 29, 2008. U.S. Air Force photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. It never crossed his mind then that he might one day return to the former Soviet republic as a KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator with the Pennsylvania Air...

Text of report by corporate-owned Russian news agency Interfax Bishkek, 13 October: Thirty two members of the banned Hezb-e Tahrir party, who organized and actively participated in riots in the town of Nookat (Osh Region, southern Kyrgyzstan) on 1 October, have been detained in Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz State National Security Committee's (SNSC) press service reported today. A criminal case has been launched into the riots in Nookat under the article 'mass riots' and 'deliberately destroying or damaging property by causing serious consequences'.

Earthquake kills at least 72 in Kyrgyzstan By LEILA SARALAYEVA, Associated Press Writer 28 minutes ago A powerful earthquake struck the mountains of Central Asia, destroying a village in Kyrgyzstan and killing at least 72 people, emergency officials said Monday. The 6.6-magnitude quake near the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan hit the remote village of Nura hard, bringing down dozens of buildings and injuring more than 100 people in addition to the confirmed deaths, Emergency Situations Minister Kamchybek Tashiyev said.

via translation - On board the plane crashed under the Bishkek could be two prominent basketball players NBA - гендиректор Federation basketball Kyrgyzstan Bishkek. August 24. INTERFAX - on board crashed under Bishkekom Boeing-737 airplanes could stay two famous American basketball NBA, told journalists Director General Federation of basketball Kyrgyzstan Oleg Putilov. "According to my information, players Samuel Perkins and Rebecca Bonner, who were in Bishkek and the town of Kant master classes, were to depart today from Bishkek in Iran - where they took place some competition. Until this all that I know. Ne I can dial up to...

MOSCOW (AP) _ Russian news agencies report that a Boeing passenger plane on its way to Iran has crashed while taking off in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek. The Interfax news agency cites an unidentified source as saying there are casualties and identifies the plane as a Boeing-737.

French arrest 10 in connection with terror probe By JOHN LEICESTER, Associated Press Writer Authorities in France, Germany and the Netherlands on Friday detained at least 10 people suspected of helping to fund al-Qaida-linked militants with roots in Uzbekistan, officials said. One suspect was detained in Germany, another in the Netherlands, with the rest detained in France, said a senior French police official who was only authorized to discuss the arrests on condition of anonymity. The suspects' nationalities were not given but officials said they were Turkic-speaking. French police suspect they collected funds for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a...

  April 30, 2008, 18:53Muslim country to legalise prostitution – and polygamy?!Kyrgyzstan may become the first Muslim country to legalise prostitution – in order to raise money from the business which is prospering in the state. The initiative is supported by some MPs and government officials, but many citizens and religious authorities oppose the move.The supporters of the idea point at the fact that Kyrgyzstan isn’t a rich country at all, while nothing from the millions of dollars earned through the oldest profession gets it into the state budget. Moreover, sex workers have practically no rights now and often...