by Kang Yi
MOSCOW, Feb. 5 (Chinese media) -- The Kyrgyz government has
submitted a bill to parliament that would close a key U.S. base important to
U.S. military operations in Afghanistan.
It is a challenge for the new U.S. administration and
a race between the U.S. and Russia to wield their clout in Central Asia,
analysts said.
KYRGYZSTAN'S DECISION
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said on Tuesday in
Moscow his country "has made the decision on ending the term of the American
base on the territory of Kyrgyzstan."
The base, which hosts more than 1,000 U.S. and NATO
military personnel, was established in 2001 after the start of the U.S.-led
military operation in Afghanistan.
Kyrgyzstan has made such decision as "the previous
threat has been lifted," the government said in a statement.
"A constitution has been adopted, the country's
president has been elected, and a government has been formed. All necessary
state institutions have been established in Afghanistan," the statement said.
Other reasons for the base's closure include the
killing of a Kyrgyz truck driver by an American serviceman in 2006 and negative
public attitudes toward the U.S. military presence in Kyrgyzstan.
GAME BETWEEN U.S. AND RUSSIA
As an air-mobility facility, home to tanker planes,
the base is key to the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan and also the only
U.S. base in Central Asia.
The U.S. considers the base as an important factor to
safeguard stability in Afghanistan and Central Asia at large.
According to reports, the U.S. military has drawn up
plans to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan and U.S. President Barack
Obama is expected to order the deployment of at least some of those forces in
the coming days.
During the past eight years, the U.S. has increased
its rental payments for the Manas base, and provided funds to help
Kyrgyzstandevelop its agriculture, finance and healthcare sectors.
Moreover, the U.S. also enhanced its cooperation,
political and military exchanges with Kyrgyzstan, and sent senior officials to
visit the country on many occasions.
On the other side, Russia considered the Manas base a
potential threat to its security and established its own airbase in Kyrgyzstan,
30 km east of the capital of Bishkek in October 2003.
During Bakiyev's visit to Russia, his counterpart
Dmitry Medvdev promised more than 2 billion U.S. dollars in credit and 150
million dollars in financial aid to help stabilize the Kyrgyz budget and support
key infrastructure projects.
Some analysts said the decision to close Manas
accords with Russia's strategic interests, and could limit the growing U.S.
presence and influence in the region.
UNCERTAIN FATE
Under the terms of the base lease, the U.S. will be
given 180 days to cease its operations.
The U.S. will be notified about the termination of
the agreement through diplomatic channels after the Kyrgyz parliament endorses
the bill, the government said.
The Kyrgyz parliament might discuss the proposal at a
plenary session on Thursday, according to news reports.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan said in a statement
that talks are due to continue to keep the base open.
According to reports, the U.S. military also said it
was continuing talks with the Kyrgyz government on the sum of compensation for
use of the base, leaving room for a compromise.
Analysts said the Manas base still faces an uncertain
fate. On one hand, the U.S. may possibly exert more pressure on Kyrgyzstan and
provide economic assistance in exchange for access to the base, and on the
other, as anti-terror actions in Afghanistan are expected to be a major topic
between Russia and NATO, there was still room for a trade-off.
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