Kyrgyzstan: How Imminent is US Base Closure?

Col. John Murphy (right), Combined Air Operations Center Director of Staff at Al Udied Air Base, Qatar, visits with Col. Don Berchoff, 376th Expeditionary Mission Support Group Commander at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyz Republic. Colonel Murphy accompanied Maj. Gen. Maury Forsyth, Deputy Combined Forces Air Component Commander at Manas AB, as part of an AOR familization tour. U.S. Air Force photo.

From Institute For War And Peace Reporting:

Kyrgyz authorities appear determined to end American military presence in their country, but there may still be room for negotiation.

As the shock of Kyrgyzstan’s announcement that the United States airbase near the capital Bishkek is to close down subsides, some analysts are doubtful that a rapid withdrawal of American forces is imminent.

Opponents of President Kurmanbek Bakiev accuse him of trading the US military presence in return for financial support from Russia. However, others say the decision is nowhere near as clear-cut as Bakiev’s headline-making statement suggests.

Rumours of the closure had been circulating since January, but the final announcement came while Bakiev was in Moscow on February 3, attending a joint summit of two post-Soviet blocs, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and the Eurasian Economic Community.

Read more .....

My Comment: LOL .... I predict that the U.S. will still be using the Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan this time next year. If there was ever a shakedown .... this is it.

The American's are going to cave in by chipping in more money, and making some compromises. No one is going to lose any face .... except the American taxpayer.

This is a good article .... a contrary viewpoint towards what much of the media is reporting now.

Update: U.S. set to fight Russia for military base (bidding war is now going to happen) -- Washington Times

Comment #2: The Russians and the leaders in Kyrgyzstan are reading President Obama's administration to a tee. He is .... as I predicted .... being played, and what is funny (and sad as a U.S. taxpayer), is that Obama's team cannot see what I see so clearly.