Kyrgyz air base linked to U.S. tolerance of corrupt government

[cory777]

Source: Washington Post

A panel of experts told Congress on Thursday that the United States tolerated a corrupt government in Kyrgyzstan to maintain access to a base that is key to the fighting in Afghanistan.

Manas air base is a major transit point for coalition troops flying into and out of the war zone and home to air-refueling tankers that keep U.S. and coalition fighter-bombers in the air over Afghanistan. It has been the source of alleged corruption payments to two Kyrgyz presidents, and resentment over those payments helped fuel the ouster of both.

The most recently deposed president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, and family members were said to have transferred up to $200 million from the country before he left office, Alexander Cooley, an associate professor at Barnard College at Columbia University, told the House Government Reform subcommittee on national security and foreign affairs.

An observer of the U.S. military presence at Manas since its establishment in late 2001, Cooley said the air base had become "a source for rental payments and service contracts that have tended to serve the private interests of powerful Kyrgyz elites."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/22/AR2010042205880.html?wprss=rss_world/asia

[Goldstein1984]

1. Our elites...their elites...

What's a little corruption and a few hundred million dollars among elites?

And what business is it of us peasants, anyway?

[Lars77]

2. What about the torture, rape and murder this regime dished out? nt

[dipsydoodle]

3. Hardly surprising

Situation is similar with respect to last elections in Azerbaijan - just gotta protect that supply from the Caspian.

[Roland99]

4. Rumsfeld and Rice fought long and hard to open that base and keep it open

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1841385&mesg_id=1842894

Better link (shows timeline of articles)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1655446&mesg_id=1656008

[PufPuf23]

6. Thanks for the memories

The Uzbek. airbase was shut down.

[Arctic Dave]

5. Well, Duh!

Why do you think the US looks like a total hypocrite when they talk about invading and occupying countries to free them from tyrannical governments when they go to bed with ones that are just as evil to help their occupation efforts of the other country.

Moral high ground my ass.

[Lagomorph]

7. Why is it that no matter where we go...

...as soon as an American plane touches the host country's runway, it's a corrupt dictatorship?

It's getting a little old. Apparently the rest of the world isn't concerned with American ideals.