Kyrgyzstan: US forces can stay -- if they pay more

[Judi Lynn]

Kyrgyzstan: US forces can stay -- if they pay more
Reuters

Sep 21, 2005 — By Olga Dzyubenko

KANT AIRBASE, Kyrgyzstan (Reuters) - Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said on Wednesday U.S. forces could stay in the former Soviet state until nearby Afghanistan was "totally stable," but they would have to pay more rent.

U.S. troops moved into Central Asia, traditionally a Russian sphere of influence, when they started the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2001, establishing air bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan for the war in Afghanistan.

Bakiyev said Kyrgyzstan was in talks with Washington on raising charges for its use of Manas International Airport.

"The Kyrgyz economy is weak and we need to look at the (payment) conditions," he said after a tour of a Russian airbase. He said he had raised the issue with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during a visit in July.
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1145570

[leesa]

1. Wonder how much 'we the people' are paying now for this little

part of the PNAC agenda?

[enigma000]

2. About $50 million a year

Washington reportedly paid ....... $50 million for the Ganci air base (that house) about 1,000 U.S. troops. After last week’s visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld to Bishkek, Washington reportedly agreed to double its payment for the Ganci air base as well as to provide a $200 million interest-free loan to Kyrgyzstan.

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/08/e9dbb7ad-49f4-44e5-87c5-1e0916f24517.html

Cheaper than invading. Much cheaper that annexing it.

[maxsolomon]

3. did we even TRY to buy hussein off?

think he would have retired for 50 billion dollars?

probably not...

[enigma000]

4. Saddam could never be anyone's poodle

He bought weapons from the Americans in the 1980s. He cozied up to the Soviets in the 80s and the French in the 90s, but always kept a good distance from these countries. Saddam was too much of a megalomaniac to take our money and then give a speech at the UN about peace and love and the benefits of hugging etc. etc.

Besides, Kyrgyzstan has at least a semi-respectable government human-rights wise.