This is EXCELLENT news for Pakistan. The balance shifts more in Pakistan’s favour - the US is running out of possible alternatives to Pakistan to supply its forces in Afghanistan - which will keep pressure up on the White House to keep Pakistan as sweet as possible.
US attempts to supply coalition troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan suffered a major setback today after Kyrgyzstan announced it was closing down a key US military base.
The central Asian republic confirmed it was shutting the US military facility near its capital, Bishkek. The Manas airbase, home to 1,000 US army personnel since 2001, is a key staging post for coalition forces fighting in nearby Afghanistan.
US and Nato commanders had previously expressed dismay at the possible closure. It comes at a time when Nato is trying to expand its supply routes to Afghanistan through the northern countries of central Asia after a series of devastating attacks on truck convoys from Pakistan.
Moscow has been pressuring Kyrgyzstan to evict the Americans, amid unease in Russia’s military at their growing footprint in central Asia, an area the Kremlin regards as its backyard. The Kyrgyz president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, held talks in Moscow yesterday with Russia’s president, Dmitry Medvedev.
Speaking afterwards, he said the US was not paying enough for the base. He also said he was angry about a case in 2006 case in which a US soldier killed a Kyrgyz truck driver on the base but was later allowed to fly home. Kyrgyzstan’s government submitted a draft bill to parliament today calling for the base to be closed.
It needs to be ratified by the Kyrgyzstan Parliament and then the U.S. would have 180 days to vacate, a lot of time for discussions. Any welfare given to Pakistan has to be tied directly to their active commitment in ridding terrorists from operating in their territory.
Pakistan can’t or isn’t willing to defeat these terrorists, be it in controlling the supply route to Afghanistan or in fighting as see in the article below…
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Thirty Pakistani policemen are reported to have been captured by Taliban fighters in the northwest Swat Valley after they laid siege to a police station.
“Taliban kidnapped 30 policemen and blew up the police office after a day-long fight,” Dilawar Khan, a regional police commander, said on Wednesday.
Army troops were sent to the Shamozai area in an effort to rescue the police officers but the operation was suspended after dusk fell, security officials said.
Four paramilitary and police officers were wounded in the clashes around the police station, a Pakistani intelligence official said.
Re: Russia forces Kyrgystan to close key US airbase
I think this is a good opportunity for India to offer one it's airbases in Punjab or Kashmir to USA.
It will provide lots of US $$ and also be a good oppportunity for local security forces to train with US forces.
Exactly, Sid. America offers Pakistan dead women and children.
Really? After the 2005 Pakistan earthquake the U.S. flew in 232 tons of humanitarian aid for earthquake victims, that was done in a single day. Providing close to a billion in humanitarian Aid since 2002. These are facts not some raw bias emotional rant by some anti-American who wants to sell the idea that America s bad for Pakistan so he can recruit kids to his terror organization. American will target terrorists in Pakistan with missiles and bombs and they target the Pakistani people with humanitarian Aid, the numbers speak for themselves.
Really? After the 2005 Pakistan earthquake the U.S. flew in 232 tons of humanitarian aid for earthquake victims, that was done in a single day.
I was talking about drones which are not doing any good for Pakistan, Afghanistan or American interests in the region. Killing civilians is not going to help.
I was talking about drones which are not doing any good for Pakistan, Afghanistan or American interests in the region. Killing civilians is not going to help.
Nor is allowing terrorists to fester and operate unabated, it simply is not an option. What is your suggestion?
This is EXCELLENT news for Pakistan. The balance shifts more in Pakistan's favour - the US is running out of possible alternatives to Pakistan to supply its forces in Afghanistan - which will keep pressure up on the White House to keep Pakistan as sweet as possible.
bad news for pashtuns who will bear the brunt of the terrorists targeting NATO, and pakistani army targeting them.
excellent news for other pakistanis who will get more money now from the US.
American will target terrorists in Pakistan with missiles and bombs and they target the Pakistani people with humanitarian Aid, the numbers speak for themselves.
You can't have them both. Missiles and bombs kill civilians and provide the militants with recruitment tools.
Let me put it politely, If US does not find an alternate route to A-stan then its f-ed. Not that out come will be any different from the past except the duration of the dance in A-stan will change.
Arrest the suspected terrorists and put them on trial in a court of law.
Drones are inefficient and they kill civilians more than they kill the suspects.
However, civilians would also die in the military campaign that would be waged to secure the area enough to allow police raids and arrests.
The problem isn't that drone attacks are being made in Pakistan. The problem is that another country, not Pakistan is carrying out attacks - that's a violation of sovereignty. I'm all for targetting militants by air - just as long as it's Pakistan doing it and no-one else.
Re: Russia forces Kyrgystan to close key US airbase
^^
Do you seriously think that Pakistan has the resolve to root out terrorism in the area. There are different command centres and most of these command centres are sympathetic to the militant cause. Hence US has to do the dirty job for you...i.e cleansing your country of these militants.
Do you seriously think that Pakistan has the resolve to root out terrorism in the area. ....
Yes. Absolutely.
Many analysts (including some on this forum) forget that Pakistani army has 50+ years history of working with Republican as well as Democratic administrations.
This history is littered with yo-yo style American diplomacy in the region. Republicans set up treaties and Democrats break them up. And the cycle repeats itself every 4 years.
4 - f-ing years is a tiny spec of time in the strategic planning for Afghanistan. This Gad-forsaken hell-hole has gone through the birthing pains of 1000's of warlords in the last 100 years.
Pakistani politicians may be est-u-peed, but the generals know much more about the region than many many news-writers.
The biggest worry for the Pak-generals is the unpredictability of the USA policies. If US is committed to the area for 30+ years, Pak army can clean up not only the FATA, but Afghanistan as well.
However they are worried that US may run away while Pak army is in the middle of cleaning up this mess.
Joe Biden and Dick Lugar probably are the first set of bi-partisan duo, to finally understand the mismatch between 4-year American cycle vs. 30+ year Afghan cycle.
So they are pushing for the 15+ year deal with Pakistan. If they are successful (and I hope they will be), Afghan mess may have a chance to finally get cleaned up.
But the odds are stacked against the long term vision of Lugar-Biden scheme. Americans are in the middle of recession, and Russia is pressuring US to cut its losses and leave the area.
Let's pray that the things go in the way of Lugar-Biden. The new admin has just started.
Moscow says it has agreed to a US request to ship non-military supplies for its troops in Afghanistan across Russian territory.
Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia was waiting for the US to provide details of the shipments before giving specific permission.
A transit agreement was signed last year, but not put into practice.
Earlier this week, Kyrgyzstan said it would close a key US air base that supports operations in Afghanistan. However, Tajikistan is reported to have agreed on Friday to allow Nato non-military supplies through its territory. Correspondents say Nato has become increasingly concerned about the security of its overland supply routes through Pakistan.
So much for the "permission". So USA shows every bullet, gun, tank and humvee list before Russia allows it.
Moreover, Russians were so intent on helping US, then this thread will not even exist.
Got it?
The Russians are just using this situation to extract support from the U.S. for other theaters of their interest. If this tit for tat support can help build a better relationship between the two then this negative becomes a positive.