Free Republic

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2009 – Kyrgyzstan’s parliament voted today to close Manas Air Base, a key logistics hub for the U.S. military, but a senior Pentagon official said the base closure would not affect operations in Afghanistan. “[Manas Air Base] is an important base for operations in Afghanistan, but it’s not irreplaceable,” Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters here today. “If it’s not available to us, we’ll find other means.” Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev still must sign the bill for the eviction to be official. If he signs the bill, troops will have 180 days to withdraw, based on...

JARRATT, Va. (AP) -- A Pakistani man who gunned down two CIA employees outside the agency's headquarters was executed under tight security in Virginia, while armed soldiers patrolled the streets in his hometown in Pakistan to guard against retaliation. No violence had been reported by Friday evening. Aimal Khan Kasi, given a lethal injection, softly chanted "There is no God but Allah" until he lost consciousness Thursday night at the Greensville Correctional Center. His execution focused international attention on the tiny town of Jarratt, where security around the prison was greatly increased in response to warnings from the State Department...