U.S. Official: Negotiations Continue Over Kyrgyzstan Air Base
Friday, March 27, 2009
MOSCOW — A senior U.S. official said Friday that negotiations are continuing with Kyrgyzstan over a key American air base that the Central Asian country has ordered U.S. forces to leave this year.
The base provides support for military operations in Afghanistan and its potential closure poses a challenge to President Barack Obama's plan to send up to 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan this year to fight surging Taliban and Al Qaeda violence.
Kyrgyzstan last month ordered the United States to leave the base within 180 days.
But the U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, told reporters in Moscow that, "We have agreed to enter into discussions with the Kyrgyz, at their invitation, on the possibility of the (base) agreement remaining in force."
"They have given us notification that they want the agreement to end, but the story is not over yet," the official said.
Kyrgyz officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The U.S. official downplayed the effect that closure of the base would have on Afghanistan operations, saying the United States has options with countries that already offer basing rights, saying "it's not going to affect our ability to supply our forces in Afghanistan."
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510917,00.html
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My Thoughts
Maybe Obama has realized the error in his ways at letting Putin and Russia influence their former satellite state into kicking our troops out of their country.
That base is an invaluable asset to our war effort in Afghanistan especially since Obama is sending even more troops into the country.
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