Kyrgyzstan Wants Military Role to End at U.S. Base

NY Times ^ | 3/13/2012 | Elisabeth Bumiller

[U-238]

One of Kyrgyzstan’s top defense officials told Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta on Tuesday that a crucial United States air base here should have “no military mission” when its lease expires a little more than two years from now. The request creates a potential hurdle to American plans to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014. Notes from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and other areas of conflict in the post-9/11 era. The base, officially called a transit center, is at the Manas airport close to the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, and has been a vital hub for troops and matériel moving in and out of Afghanistan. It is the only such base that American forces have in Central Asia. The comments by the Kyrgyz official — Busurmankul Tabaldiev, the secretary of the country’s defense council — echo those of Kyrgyzstan’s new president, Almazbek Atambayev. In one of his first statements after his election on Oct. 30, Mr. Atambayev said he would seek to close the base when the lease runs out in July 2014. Mr. Tabaldiev told Mr. Panetta on Tuesday in a meeting here that the base should be converted to strictly civilian commercial use. The base has been the subject of contention for some time. In 2009, Kyrgyz leaders threatened to shut down the base; Pentagon and State Department officials concluded that the threat was the product of pressure from Russia to push back the American presence and extend its own influence in the region, most of which was part of the Soviet Union. The 2009 dispute was resolved when the United States agreed to pay higher rent for the base, which is now $60 million a year.

[U-238]

Central Asian republics have sometimes complained of Russian interference, Kyrgyzstan has more often wished for more attention and support from Moscow than it has been able to obtain Kyrgyzstan remains economically dependent on Russia. Since 2003, Russian Air Force units have been stationed at Kant Air Base east of Bishkek.

[C210N]

Kyrgyzstan CANNOT just cause this base to close. By law, they MUST have an official certified 0bama BOW. And, it can’t be a copy, or the “short bow form”... it must be the full blown long form BOW, notarized with a CLEARLY raised BOW seal. Once this paperwork is taken care of, then... and ONLY then, may they have this base closed.

[U-238]

China asked the base to be closed in exchange for $3 billion dollars in cash

[Myrddin]

In the case the military use is eliminated, the annual rent payment will be reduced to $0.

[U-238]

I find it extremely odd that Kyrgystan has a Russian base and a American base there. To me, they are swimming at both ends of the pool.