Kyrgyz parliament OKs closing air base that's crucial to U.S.

[babylonsister]

Kyrgyz parliament OKs closing air base that's crucial to U.S.

By Tom Lasseter | McClatchy Newspapers


BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — The Kyrgyz parliament voted Thursday to force the U.S. military to abandon its air base here — part of what many say is a Kremlin-backed initiative — posing a severe setback to American efforts in Afghanistan.

The vote, a resounding 78-1, signaled that Kyrgyzstan's government is ready to follow through on its president's threat to close the Manas Air Base.

Now that the parliament has passed the measure, all that remains is for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to sign it and his government to issue an eviction notice giving the Americans 180 days to pack up.

Officials at the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek and the air base had no comment Thursday. The embassy recently released a statement that said negotiations were ongoing.

Earlier this month, Bakiyev unveiled his plan to shutter the base during a Moscow news conference just after the Russian government pledged more than $2 billion in loans and aid to his Central Asian country. Russian officials have denied any link between the events, but most observers say that it's part of the Kremlin's campaign to reduce U.S. influence in the former Soviet sphere.

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/story/62482.html

[damntexdem]

1. It's their country, their right to get U.S. bases out.

Just as it's their right to cozy up to Moscow, although they won't find Russia any better partner than the U.S. has been.