Dispute mounts over key U.S. base in Kyrgyzstan
Reports: Kyrgyzstan to close key U.S. base
This looks like Russia is flexing it’s financial muscles. Reading the IHT article, you would think that the US is leasing the airbase for a dollar a year, instead of the 63 million that the military pays to use it. Now that Pakistan is effectively closed for supplies, and now this, it looks like Iran may have gained some leverage.
Russia is reportedly offering a $300 million US 40 year loan at .75% interest along with writing off almost $200 million US worth of debt from Kyrgyzstan. IHT reports it as a $2 billion loan and $150 million in aid to Kyrgyzstan. Either way that’s some serious money being spent by Russia to get the US base there closed.
This could complicate efforts to resupply US troops in Afghanistan, along with the 30,000 new ones expected to deploy there to try and help stabilize the Afghan government. I wonder if the US can negotiate a base in Tajikistan instead, since the Tajik ethnic group were strong supporters of the Northern Alliance, and would be more friendly towards not having a majority Pashtun (Taliban) government again.