U.S. Reaches Deal To Use Kyrgyzstan Airport

From The L.A. Times:

The accord to use the Manas site for 'transit shipments' would fall short of U.S. hopes of maintaining the facility as a full-fledged military airbase. But it would provide a logistical support base for the Afghanistan war effort.

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan -- The United States and Kyrgyzstan have reached a deal for using a Kyrgyz airport to transport U.S. non-lethal military supplies to Afghanistan, a senior Kyrgyz official said today, four months after the country said U.S. troops would be evicted.

The accord to use Manas airport as "center of transit shipments" would fall short of U.S. hopes of maintaining the facility as a full-fledged military airbase. But it would provide a much needed logistical support base as the U.S.-led coalition ramps up operations against the increasingly bold Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan.

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My Comment: This has always been a battle over money and politics, with Kyrgyzstan playing both Russia and the U.S. against each other to get the best deal possible. The full details of this new agreement are not spelled out, but I would not be surprised if it involves a major increase in the U.S. financial commitment to keeping this base operational.