Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta arrived in the central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan today with an eye toward convincing the nation’s government to accept continued US military presence at the nation’s Manas Air Base beyond 2014.
Things don’t look promising for Panetta, however, as President Atambayev has insisted that he has “no intention” of renewing the US lease on the base, and wants to see it as a commercial, not military, enterprise.
The base has been playing an increased role in the US occupation of Afghanistan, particularly with the border with Pakistan now closed to military traffic. Yet Kyrgyzstan has been desperate to get out of the US-hosting business for years, and has a number of key factions outspoken in opposing the base.
Defense officials say that the loss of Manas could force the US to rely entirely on direct flights to Afghanistan over the North Pole, a dramatically more expensive prospect. The conversion of the base, close to the Kyrgyz capital city of Bishkek, to commercial use could be an economic boon to that nation.
Didn't we go through this like 2 or 3 years ago? Kyrgystan wants the US out, the US pays them more bribery money (foreign aid) to sell out their nation's soveriegnty, etc. etc. ad nauseaum
It's only a matter of time before the rest of the world tells us and Israel "ENOUGH". Blowback is gonna be huge.
I hope so but it doesn't look like the rest of the world has the guts to stand up to the US govt.
sounds like they are next in line for some humanitarianism
Humanitarianism = phony terror attack.
Poor Kyrgyzstan, don't they know that once we get "in" we never leave?
What color would they like for "their" revolution?
Never? Really? What about Vietnam? Nicaragua? Iraq? Oh, right, the US didn't leave. They were thrown out.
Ron Paul would close that base PRONTO! RP2012
"…direct fights to Afghanistan over the north pole" !! Only if they violate Russian air space. Or perhaps they will ask permission.
This is funny! If we do not control Kyrgistan, we will need to go over NORTH POLE! As if already US does not have all the necessary transport arrangement through Russia. Kyrgizstan is no value of any kind, and the war in Afghanistan is degenerating to local sqabbles, with no real war going on. So, what this is all about? It is just to test Kygizstan's committment to CSTO, the regional security organizations that decided to close foreign bases on their soil. And their committment to SCO, where Russia and China do not look kindly to too many bases in their neighborhood.
WE HAVE GOT TO UP THE BRIBE,…..THE KYRGIES HAVE SEEN THE RESULTS OF OUR "HUMANITARIAN HELP" AND WANT MORE MONEY FOR THE ENSUING DESTRUCTION…GOD HELP THEM
Good luck to Kyrgyzstan with that. The empire's occupations are like the Roach Motel, they get in but they don't get out.