Russia's Putin says "No you can't" to Obama's Afghanistan surge

[SavetheWest]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090203/wl_mcclatchy/3159738


Kyrgyzstan to close U.S. base used to supply Afghanistan

MOSCOW — In a setback to the escalating U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan , the president of Kyrgyzstan said Tuesday that his government will shut down the American air base in his country.

U.S. officials say that the Manas Air Base is vital to plans to send an additional 30,000 American troops to Afghanistan , a linchpin of President Barack Obama's efforts to pacify the country.

The announcement by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev came in Moscow , not in his own capital, and shortly after the Russian government reportedly agreed to lend Kyrgyzstan $2 billion , write off $180 million in debt and add another $150 million in aid. Although the Russian government didn't release a statement about the decision, the timing and place of the announcement indicated that the Kremlin had been involved.

The Russian government has been pushing to restore its clout in the former Soviet sphere of influence — despite deep economic problems at home — a trend that most analysts say will make Obama's dealings with Russia delicate at best.

"It's a direct challenge to the new American administration. Russia is going out of its way to close an American base," said Pavel Felgenhauer , a Moscow -based military analyst.

Two weeks ago, Gen. David Petraeus , the head of the U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East and south Asia , said that senior Kyrgyz officials had assured him that there were no discussions between the country and Russia about closing the base in exchange for aid.

The Manas installation is viewed as "the premier air-mobility hub" for U.S. and allied operations in Afghanistan , with about 1,000 military personnel from America, Spain and France stationed there, according to a U.S. Air Force Web site.

Bakiyev explained in Moscow that the decision had been made because "we have repeatedly raised with the United States the matter of economic compensation for the existence of the base in Kyrgyzstan , but we have not been understood," Russian news wires reported.

Bakiyev said that after the base opened in 2001 the understanding was that "it was one or two years that were being talked about. Eight years have passed."

Last month, the Kremlin said it would open transportation lines through Russia to Afghanistan to help U.S. forces circumvent the violence-plagued route across the Pakistani border.

Analyst Felgenhauer said the message from the two actions was clear: The Kremlin is willing to help the American military in Afghanistan , but only on the condition that the United States recognizes its authority in central Asia .

Or, more simply put, "we will not allow their bases in our sphere of influence," said Felgenhauer, a critic of Kremlin policy.

Although he didn't cite the base closing, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a point of saying in Moscow that Kyrgyzstan and Russia "are open to coordinated action" with the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan .

[syyuge]

Such bases have proven useless and time consuming and should be closed. Rather if someone is really interested in fighting the Islamic Jihadi Terrorism and its disciples then he should use much higher weapons.

[Ithaca-37]

"Such bases have proven useless and time consuming and should be closed. Rather if someone is really interested in fighting the Islamic Jihadi Terrorism and its disciples then he should use much higher weapons."

That may be true, but that's beside the point, in my opinion.  The Mulatto Messiah barely has the chair warm in the Oval Office and a one-time ally (albeit a thin one) throws him overboard for a Russian nation that's flat on its back economically.  Even our supposed friends smell weakness, so what do our enemies think?


37

[SavetheWest]

Such bases have proven useless and time consuming and should be closed. Rather if someone is really interested in fighting the Islamic Jihadi Terrorism and its disciples then he should use much higher weapons.

These bases are very important to launch a further troop deployment.  The US almost had to completely alter its invasion plans of Iraq because Turkey was hesitant to let the US use its air bases.  Of course they should use higher weapons but we're talking about the Obama administration here.

[syyuge]

Hemmed between China and CIS, deeply landlocked Kyrgyzstan seems to be a vicious and treacherous piece of difficult land which can be encircled and isolated at any time. It was never a good place for making and maintaining such bases.

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=42.4854537&lon=76.7540073&z=14&l=0&m=a&v=2

Somehow I feel that Congoleeza might have a hand in selecting Kyrgyzstan. The Eurocommunists always want the righteous to indulge in such wars that shall become protracted and with application of such tactics through which the wars can never be won.

Eurocommunists fooled Bush to take away the weapons from Northern Alliance Warriors. Then they fooled him to make further deep friendship with Papistan666 on flimsy and undesirable grounds. Instead of war on terror, they started politics and diplomacy on horror.

Now with Obama on scene, things have become completely uncertain and nothing can be vouchsafed.

Till the existence of Iran and Papistan666, no such war in the existing manner can be won notwithstanding the base at Kyrgyzstan.     

[briann]

I think theres a big point here.

Putin has been VERY active in recent years trying to increase his sphere of influence and get as many allies as he can.  He is doing this to legitimize the new Russian Empire, and may be a preface for a new cold war.

Brian

[syyuge]

I think theres a big point here.

Putin has been VERY active in recent years trying to increase his sphere of influence and get as many allies as he can.  He is doing this to legitimize the new Russian Empire, and may be a preface for a new cold war.

Brian

Actually the world has now become so volatile that a new cold war can not last for long.

[SavetheWest]

Russia's not what it once was. I think they're trying to put the brakes on a complete decline.  They have one of the most declining populations in the world with a high death rate and low birth rate.

 Bush must have had some sort of oil or other resource deal with the Kyrgic government and now they don't need the US anymore and need Russia more now.  Obama is probably not wise enough to see how things work in that part of the world and they alreay lost out on an opportunity to make his advances in Afghanistan easier. Remember that Obama has already mobilized some troops from Iraq to land in Afghanistan.   The more air bases and options you have, the better.  Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are very unstable and there are not many other options to advance the war there. 
The reason Obama cares about Afghanistan is because he thinks popular opinion support action better there and Afghanistan and Al Qaeda have been a nightmare for leftism and the nice face of Islam that Saudi Arabia and other countries have been pushing.  The smart Muslims realize that Al Qaeda is psuhing too far ahead and they can win easier through immigration, economic expansion (especially into the media and schools) and a high birth rate in Western countries.  Al Qeada and Afghanistan threaten to lift the veil off the real, true Islam and that could hurt them and has hurt them on many fronts.