Why Kyrgyzstan kicks US out

Russia Today: http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/36987
February 7, 2009, 0:45
Is Kyrgyz NATO base closure a done deal?
The Kyrgyzstan governments decision to close a NATO airbase on its territory has upset Washington. Although it now needs the parliaments and presidents approval, the closure looks a done deal.

The Manas base in Kyrgyzstan has been used for years by the Pentagon as a major supply depot for NATO troops in Afghanistan. The Kyrgyz government has already approved the closure of the base, and the decision just needs to be ratified by the president. Judging by the mood among many politicians as well as the locals, the closures seems inevitable.

It's been eight years since the launch of the Manas base. At that time there was severe fighting in Afghanistan, they were using bomber air forces, said Aybek Sultangaziev, spokesperson for the Kyrgyz Prime Minister.

But today the situation in Afghanistan has changed it has its own government, president and parliament. We think the air base has accomplished its mission, he added.

Locals in a village near Manas say the base is harmful for the local environment. There have been incidents when US planes have jettisoned excess fuel directly onto the village.

We are living here and raising our children. Why do we need this US air base? one of the villagers wonders. We don't need it at all. We are living in a peaceful time. I remember how frightening it was when American planes were flying above our heads.

Some of the locals also fear that the US may engage in a war with Iran and if that were to happen, they are afraid the base might come under attack in the future.

Washington has been using the Manas base since 2001 to provide assistance to its operations in Afghanistan. Initially it was planned that the base would have been used just for one year, but then that time was extended to eight years.

There have been also reports of many civilian casualties in Afghanistan, and Kyrgyz authorities say they dont want to be involved in that.

There have also been a number of incidents near Manas between locals and foreign troops, such as fights, traffic accidents, and in the latest case an American soldier shot and killed a Kyrgyz citizen. The soldier has not yet been prosecuted because the staff of the base enjoys diplomatic immunity.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Kyrgyzstan
• US
• airbase
• Russia

[inbrooklyn2008]

They're going back to where their natural interests are, because the US is weakening itself by overstretching its power around the world, and hasn't much it can offer in terms of helping improve things in the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union, since the US only uses them to promote its own agenda - geostrategic dominance in resource-rich Central Asia.

What are they supposed to do - bend over for American imperialism?

That would be a far more regressive thing, cihan2050.

[cammmodotorg]

Did you know there are 737 U.S. military bases that the U.S. government will admit to? And another 100-200 they deny? Have you heard about recruiters lying to get young people to join the military? Did you know Army suicides are at an all-time high? Is there any reason young people should trust the U.S. Army to improve their lives? Be all you can be. Don't join the Army.

[cammmodotorg]

We don't live in Russia. We thought we told you to clean up those sideburns. We would post a link where you could learn more. But youtube does not allow links. So we will point out to you that if you read our user name carefully, you will see that our user name is also the name of a website. Take Tylenol for any headaches, Midol for any cramps. They deny the Jordanian base- for starters. And the Jordanian torture facility, run by the CIA.

[ChiefOak]

Да! Вы правильны, Товарищ! Приедьте, чтобы отнестись Россию по-матерински и присоединиться к нашим вооруженным силам!

Laughable idiot. How many do they deny? How do you know? Read that on a Leftist blog somewhere? Where in Russia do you live?

[Pnkbong]

Prez. Obama printing money like crazyman. US dollar becoming nothing but fancy-printed toilet paper. Kyrgyzstan know Russian Ruble still has value. Kyrgyzstan says "Yankee Go Home !" to US with worthless dollar.

[inbrooklyn2008]

By the way, it's spelled "Turkestan".

[inbrooklyn2008]

They aren't bending over for "the Russian imperialists" because they see the Russians as getting them a better deal than the US. Bending over, in this case, would be going along with the US anyway.

You think it's better to bend over? I said the Kyrgyz were "going back to where their natural interests are."

And what do you propose?

Do you think the Kyrgyz government is merely stupid and is actively working to harm its own self-interest? Don't you think they think this stuff through?