Posted on 02/06/2009 8:53:08 PM PST by pobeda1945
WASHINGTON, February 6 (Itar-Tass) -- The United States regrets that Kyrgyzstan is considering to close the Manas US air base and is looking for a substitution in neighboring Uzbekistan.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Thursday “it's regrettable that this is under consideration by the government of Kyrgyzstan.”
But she stressed it would not impede US plans to expand its military presence in Afghanistan. Clinton said the Pentagon was “conducting an examination as to how else we would proceed” in the event the Manas air base is no longer available.
The Associated Press quoted unnamed defense officials as saying the United States is “considering resumption of military cooperation with authoritarian Uzbekistan” to compensate for the loss of Manas base and deliver supplies to the troops in Afghanistan.
Clinton declined to comment on US interest in new arrangements with Uzbekistan for supply routes into Afghanistan. “We will proceed in a very effective manner no matter what the outcome of the Kyrgyzstan government's deliberations might be,” she said.
The United States set up Manas and a base in neighboring Uzbekistan in 2001 to back operations in Afghanistan. Uzbekistan expelled US troops from the base on its territory in 2005, leaving Manas as the only US military facility in the region.
Ms Clinton ‘regrets’ — what srrong wording. NOT!
Other countries must be laughing and the terrorist rubbing their hands together with glea at this WH and State Department. Bunch of wimps from the President to SoS. Next we will be apologizing for them not allowing us to continue to have the base.
TASS ping
Thank you AliVeritas...a major base gone, the GWOT gone...
our enemies just love us, don’t they?
We had lots of fun in Kosovo, Georgia, and expanding NATO right up to Russia’s border. Kinda forgot we were using an old Soviet Air Force base for free. Right after 9/11 they gave it to us to use, no money but no lease either.
I actually think our diplomats never even thought about the consequences of continually giving them the finger. Gonna be extra fun in 2 or 3 years when the shuttle retires. And whats our plan for how to get to the American Space Station (renamed the “international” space staion)??
Why,,we are planning on the RUSSIANS giving us a ride till we build a whole new system! Can’t see how that could possibly go wrong!
Hitlery behind this, imho... shuttin’ down this CRITICAL base... un-freepin’ believable!
Putin just bought some big bargaining chips to get rid of the missile shield in eastern europe.
I'm skeptical they can get the Uzbeks back on side though. It was just three or four years ago the state department was running around encouraging revolutions in former Soviet countries and most of the people involved were Clinton holdovers.
If they can pull it off we'd be better off dealing with the Uzbeks than the Kyrgyz on a political level. However, the base at Khanabad doesn't have anything like the facilities Manas has.
I don't think that our State Dept has a single iota of sense. They first tried to tell the Uzbeks how to handle their own internal affairs, and now they urinate on the Kyrgyzstani's.
While I was never at Manas, I spent time at K2. We spent quite a lot turning that place from a sh*thole into a decent base.
Hill should just go right over there and bitch at them and throw some lamps and ashtrays and screech real loud. Then they’ll listen.
that is very well put.
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