USA doesn’t plan lasting military presence in Kyrgyzstan – envoy

ITAR-TASS ^ | 5/04/2010 | ITAR-TASS

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The United States does not plan a lasting military presence in Kyrgyzstan, U.S. Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Michael McFaul told a Tuesday press conference in Bishkek.

The transit center located on the premises of the Bishkek Manas Airport supports the coalition operations in Afghanistan and helps fight terrorism, which endangers not only the United States but also Russia and Kyrgyzstan, McFaul said, adding that the center was beneficial for all.

One should not view the Kyrgyz interim government as pro-Russian or pro-American, McFaul said.

As for the scandal around the Kyrgyz delivery of fuel and lubricants to American servicemen, McFaul said he had often heard about corruption deals but not all of the rumors were true.

The Kyrgyz Prosecutor General’s Office started to investigate the delivery of aviation kerosene to the U.S. military base in Bishkek by Kyrgyz commercial companies. The prosecutors suspect younger son of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Maxim Bakiyev, of corrupt dealings.

McFaul said they would try to prove the absence of corruption in the fuel deliveries and would post on the Internet the entire information about money transferred by the U.S. government to the Kyrgyz government.

The possible withdrawal of U.S. servicemen from Kyrgyzstan was not discussed with members of the Kyrgyz interim administration on Tuesday, McFaul said. However, the United States would respect the opinion of Kyrgyz people if it is expressed at a referendum or through a parliament vote, he noted.

Hopefully, the possible discussions will be fair, McFaul said, noting that the activity of the transit center was often interpreted incorrectly

[allmost]

The capabilities are there of course. What is the plural of fulcrum?