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July 21, 2005

Original Article (English)

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev

The Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan, which is located in what has been a strategic region since ancient times, recently drew the attention of the world with a series of surprising moves.

On July 11 at his first press conference since being elected, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said in a firm tone that the situation in Afghanistan had stabilized and that it is time to discuss the necessity of a US military presence in Kyrgyzstan. Bakiyev stressed, when interviewed by a Russian TV station on July 17 that the United States should terminate its military presence in his country. These remarks aroused a strong global response, and the military presence of the U.S. and its anti-terror coalition in Central Asia became the focus of attention.

So how are the U.S. troops deployed in Central Asia? After the "9/11" event, the strategic status of Central Asia, as far as the United States was concerned, increased dramatically, and the U.S. prepared to penetrate the region at a moment's notice. The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan created opportunities for America to enter Central Asia. In December 2001, the United States set up the Ganci Air Base at Kyrgyzstan’s Manas Airport, which furnished the United States with a direct military foothold in Central Asia.

In the meantime, facilities in other Central Asian countries were also "requisitioned" by other members of the anti-terror alliance. In Tajikistan, over 300 French troops are using airports in Dushanbe and Kulyab; in Uzbekistan, more than 2,000 American and German troops are stationed at two military airports in Khanabad and Termez. For emergency purposes, Kazakhstan agreed to let U.S. aircraft use the Almaty International Airport and Chimkent military airport in the south.

He who came because of "war" should have gone when the "war" was over. The situation in Afghanistan has now stabilized and the reasons for a U.S. military presence in Central Asia no longer exists, hence the increasingly loud voices asking U.S. troops to leave.

Uzbek President Karimov Visits President Bush

Apart from Bakiyev, as early as last month Uzbek President Islam Karimov proposed a re-examination of the need for the U.S. base in Uzbekstan. Early this month in the declaration issued at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, leaders of the member states, including Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, said that since large-scale military operations against terror in Afghanistan have come to an end, parties in the coalition should set a timetable for bringing the temporary use of the members states’ facilities to a close. Judging by public opinion, most people in Central Asia support the position of their leaders in regard to this declaration.

Can the Americans, who went to so much trouble hammering in a "wedge" easily give it up? The U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers recently made the haughty remark that the SCO's declaration was "not particularly useful." His arrogance clearly reveals the true intentions of the United States, which is to permanently meddle in Central Asia and to dominate the region politically. But the United States needs to be aware of the situation it will run into if it ignores the voices of the Central Asian countries.

This article is carried on the third page of People's Daily, July 21, 2005, and is translated by People's Daily Online