US to continue talks about keeping Kyrgyz base

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

US to continue talks about keeping Kyrgyz base
By LEILA SARALAYEVA – 1 hour ago

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan said Wednesday that talks will continue on maintaining a key American air base in the country despite the Kyrgyz president's announcement that it will close.

The base in the former Soviet Central Asian country is an essential element of support for U.S. and international operations in Afghanistan.

Kyrgyzstan's president announced Tuesday that the country had decided the Manas base must close. He did not specify when the closure might take place.

~snip~
The announcement by Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev posed a serious challenge to the new U.S. administration and President Barack Obama's plan to send up to 30,000 more American forces into Afghanistan this year.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5goSq-Hk4_xi9Fm7sI4SLjpc5neiwD964LT1G0

[byeya]

1. Can't afford it; don't need it; they don't want us;

let's come home.

[saigon68]

2. Putin also wants us out

[ohio2007]

7. Russia allows transit of US military supplies ( Putin wants a cut of US defense spending )

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_us_afghanistan

Always with the threat of cutting off supplies like they did with gas flowing through Ukraine
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090206/D96614501.html
while the competition for defense spending grows in other ex Soviet states;



http://www.rferl.org/Content/Tajikistan_Offers_To_Transit_NATO_Supplies_To_Afghanistan/1380459.html

NATO countries going to thaw and perhaps lift sanctions on Iran in order to run supplies through the mullahs land ?


www.navytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_nato_iran_afghanistan_020209/
I'm guessing Iran would hold supply routes hostage some day down the road

[Judi Lynn]

3. Kicking.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[bemildred]

4. So do they want to raise the rent, or do they really want us gone? nt

[EFerrari]

5. it seems to be a rent issue. Amy played a clip of Clinton speaking about it briefly.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. The are just holding out for more vowels