Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates meets with U.S. Air Force airmen at Manas Air Base in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, following a town hall meeting on Dec. 11, 2008. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison, U.S. Air Force. (Released)From The Toronto Star:
MOSCOW – Russia's top military officer warned that Moscow felt threatened by U.S. policy in ex-Soviet Central Asia and claimed that Washington was attempting to establish new military bases there, news agencies reported Tuesday.
Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the Russian military's general staff, said Washington planned to establish a foothold in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Interfax and ITAR-Tass reported. U.S. officials denied there were plans.
Makarov also said U.S. support for bids by Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO made Russia feel threatened. He cast doubt that relations between the countries would improve under Barack Obama.
"According to our information, it (the U.S.) is planning to establish military bases in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan," Makarov was quoted as saying. He did not elaborate.
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My Comment: As you can tell by the photo above, American bases are already located next door in Kyrgyzstan. Americans pay well for the privilege of establishing a base in another country .... with the war in Afghanistan escalating, it will not take much to have more of these bases in other countries, including those in Central Asia.
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