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February 04, 2009
Ivan Fires Another Shot Across The One's Bow
The Bear growls, and the country whose name sounds like an angry growl jumps
CNN) -- The Kyrgyz government is planning to close a strategically important U.S. military base that Washington uses as a route for troops and supplies heading into Afghanistan, Russian media reported Tuesday. A U.S. troop guards the main access checkpoint to the Manas Air Base on December 18, 2008.Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said Tuesday at a news conference in Moscow that "all due procedures" were being initiated to close Manas Air Base, the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reported.
The announcement was made after news reports of a multimillion-dollar aid package from Russia to Kyrgyzstan.
... The United States pays about $63 million a year for use of the base and employs more than 320 Kyrgyz citizens there, Petraeus said. The base has been in operation since December 2001 under U.N. mandate
The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported Tuesday that Russia would offer Kyrgyzstan a $300 million, 40-year loan at an annual interest rate of 0.75 percent, and write off $180 million of Kyrgyz debt.
I'm just not feeling this new era of world-wide love for Obama and America that I was promised.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at February 4, 2009 06:58 AM
Comments
Oh, they love him plenty, Bings. They especially love that he lets them get away with anything they damn well please.
Not that I blame the Kygyrz any, if they're getting a better deal this way. However, I do fear that this was more of an offer they couldn't refuse, rather than an offer in good faith.
Posted by: nightfly at February 4, 2009 12:39 PM
The hell with blaming the Kygyrz, 'Fly: how the heck do you pronounce it?
Where's Vanna when I need to buy a vowel?
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at February 4, 2009 12:42 PM
Heh... it IS kind of amazing that we have a base in Klingon territory.
Posted by: nightfly at February 4, 2009 03:21 PM