Kyrgyzstan
Kiljunen's Report Blasted in Kyrgyzstan
13.05.2011.
One week after the publication of the Kyrgyzstan Inquiry Commission's (KIC) report detailing its investigation into the ethnic violence in southern Kyrgyzstan, widespread discussion has been triggered in the country. Most local experts agree that the report adds more to understanding the causes and consequences of the four-day bloodshed in June 2010, which cost the lives of 470 and forced 400,000 citizens to flee the country. The report, however, has been criticized for its methodology, one-sidedness, and factual inaccuracies.More ...
Kyrgyzstan Nationalists Lay Minefield for International Investigation | EurasiaNet.org
21.04.2011.
What do you call suspiciously timed information that undercuts an anticipated event? Could it be propaganda?
In Kyrgyzstan's parliament, a deputy from the nationalist Ata-Jurt faction alleges that a new book – that only she has seen – claims Kyrgyz massacred Uzbeks in last summer’s ethnic violence. Her story, as these things generally are, is hard to follow. In widely reported comments from April 19,Jyldyz Joldosheva rants against the publication of The Hour of the Jackal, by “rich Uzbek nationalists.”More ...
In Kyrgyzstan's parliament, a deputy from the nationalist Ata-Jurt faction alleges that a new book – that only she has seen – claims Kyrgyz massacred Uzbeks in last summer’s ethnic violence. Her story, as these things generally are, is hard to follow. In widely reported comments from April 19,Jyldyz Joldosheva rants against the publication of The Hour of the Jackal, by “rich Uzbek nationalists.”More ...
Cablegate: CHINESE AMBASSADOR FLUSTERED BY KYRGYZ ALLEGATIONS OF MONEY FOR CLOSING MANAS
30.11.2010.
1. (C) Summary: During a meeting with the Ambassador
February 13, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yannian ridiculed the
idea, but did not deny categorically, that China would
provide Kyrgyzstan a $3 billion financial package in return
for closing Manas Air Base. Zhang said Kyrgyzstan was in
Russia's sphere of influence, and China had only commercial
interests here. He also complained bitterly about Chinese
Guantanamo detainees being shipped to Germany instead of
China. Zhang was very interested in whether the U.S. would
negotiate to keep Manas, and he advised just giving the
Kyrgyz $150 million a year for the Base. "This is all about
money," he said. End Summary. More ...
February 13, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yannian ridiculed the
idea, but did not deny categorically, that China would
provide Kyrgyzstan a $3 billion financial package in return
for closing Manas Air Base. Zhang said Kyrgyzstan was in
Russia's sphere of influence, and China had only commercial
interests here. He also complained bitterly about Chinese
Guantanamo detainees being shipped to Germany instead of
China. Zhang was very interested in whether the U.S. would
negotiate to keep Manas, and he advised just giving the
Kyrgyz $150 million a year for the Base. "This is all about
money," he said. End Summary. More ...
Cablegate: CANDID DISCUSSION WITH PRINCE ANDREW ON THE KYRGYZ
30.11.2010.
1. (C) SUMMARY: On October 28, the Ambassador participated in a two-hour brunch to brief HRH the Duke of York ahead of his meetings with the Kyrgyz Prime Minister and other high-level officials. She was the only non-subject of the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth invited to participate by the British Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic. Other participants included major British investors in Kyrgyzstan and the Canadian operator of XXXXXXXX. The discussion covered the investment climate for Western firms in the Kyrgyz Republic, the problem of corruption, the revival of the “Great Game,” Russian and Chinese influence in the country, and the Prince’s personal views on promoting British economic interests. Astonishingly candid, the discussion at times verged on the rude (from the British side). END SUMMARY.More ...
Did Bakiev’s government try to milk Manas Airbase money out of China?
30.11.2010.
Remember all that hubub in 2009 about the possible closure of the Manas Airbase? Well, WikiLeaks reveals, so to speak, the Chinese view on the matter, albeit via American eyes.
Arguably, it appears the Kyrgyz officials were trying to slyly induce China into giving them additional cash — or, conversely, that there was some talk of a deal, which the Americans sniffed out and confronted the Chinese about. The Chinese Ambassador seems rather frank in this account, talking about unemployment and discontent in his country, as well as the resentment China felt over the fate of Guantanamo Bay’s Uighur prisoners (”imply[ing] that the Guantanamo situation had made China look for ways to hit back at the U.S.”)
Here’s the digital diplomatic cable in full text, with a link back to the WikiLeaks site:More ...
Arguably, it appears the Kyrgyz officials were trying to slyly induce China into giving them additional cash — or, conversely, that there was some talk of a deal, which the Americans sniffed out and confronted the Chinese about. The Chinese Ambassador seems rather frank in this account, talking about unemployment and discontent in his country, as well as the resentment China felt over the fate of Guantanamo Bay’s Uighur prisoners (”imply[ing] that the Guantanamo situation had made China look for ways to hit back at the U.S.”)
Here’s the digital diplomatic cable in full text, with a link back to the WikiLeaks site:More ...
Kyrgyz Government Unhappy with DoD Decision
09.11.2010.
Kyrgyzstan president Roza Otunbayeva has expressed her disappointment with the November 3 U.S. Defense Department (DoD) decision to renew its contract with Mina Corp Ltd., which has supplied jet fuel to the U.S. Transit Center Manas in Bishkek for the past six years. The one-year, $315 million contract will allow Mina to supply 96 million gallons of fuel to Manas. The contract can also be extended for another year.More ...
Kyrgyzstan urges US to scrap fuel contract for crucial supply base
09.11.2010.
Kyrgyzstan's government has demanded that the Pentagon cancel a $630 million (£390 million) contract to supply fuel to the US's Manas airbase because its chosen bidder, Mina Corp, is under investigation by Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies.More ...
US awards Kyrgyzstan contract to company probed by Congress
04.11.2010.
The U.S. Defense Department has awarded the Mina Corporation a $315 million jet fuel contract at a key U.S. air force base in Kyrgyzstan, after a congressional investigation stalled the deal.More ...
Kyrgyzstan still on edge after election
04.11.2010.
Two weeks after voters went to the polls in critical parliamentary elections, Kyrgyzstan’s future is still unclear. And regional analysts warn that the outcome of the country’s recent political experiment could echo far beyond the borders of the tiny central Asian state.
Kyrygyzstan remains in limbo. The country’s Central Election Committee has yet to release the final tabulations for the Oct. 10 contest. So far, five parties have crossed a 5 percent threshold to qualify them for the legislature.More ...
Kyrygyzstan remains in limbo. The country’s Central Election Committee has yet to release the final tabulations for the Oct. 10 contest. So far, five parties have crossed a 5 percent threshold to qualify them for the legislature.More ...
OSCE: Kyrgyzstan's vibrant and pluralistic parliamentary elections constitute further consolidation of democracy
11.10.2010.
BISHKEK, 11 October 2010 - Marked by political pluralism and a vibrant campaign, yesterday's parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan constituted a further consolidation of the democratic process and brought the country closer to meeting its international commitments on democratic elections, international observers concluded in a preliminary statement issued today. They stressed, however, that there remains an urgent need for a profound reform of the electoral legislation. More ...
Kyrgyzstan Votes After Year of Turbulence
11.10.2010.
The leaders of the rebellion that ousted former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev from power in this Central Asian republic in April are likely to face strong opposition following parliamentary elections Sunday, according to early results of the voting.More ...
Kyrgyz Democratic Experiment Begins Uncertainly
11.10.2010.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) — Kyrgyzstan's attempt to bring parliamentary democracy to Central Asia got off to a rocky start Monday with an election surprise that handed a leading position to a nationalist party opposed to the country's new constitution.More ...
Pre-Election Political Competition Intensifies in Kyrgyzstan
08.10.2010.
Earlier forecasts suggesting that Kyrgyzstan’s electoral campaign season would turn violent have proved to be wrong. Twenty-nine political parties contesting the October 10 elections have conducted civilized and often creative campaigns. A recent report by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) confirms that except for few cases, all political parties had equal access to mass media. Despite a shortage of staff at the Central Elections Commission, few complaints about preparations for the elections were filed (http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2010/10/46497_en.pdf). OHDIR’s assessments were widely supported by the local NGO community.More ...
OSCE police mission for Kyrgyzstan stalls
03.09.2010.
An OSCE police advisory mission had been expected to be deployed in strife-torn southern Kyrgyzstan by the end of August. But given the Central Asian nation’s muddled political situation, it now looks like the deployment won’t happen until late October, if at all.
Some prominent Kyrgyz political figures -- led by Melis Myrzakmatov, the combative and independent-minded mayor of Osh -- have staunchly opposed the deployment of a foreign mission on Kyrgyz soil. Internal opposition has prompted provisional President Rosa Otunbayeva to backtrack on deployment plans. The issue has become so politicized that sources close to the OSCE police mission believe deployment is unlikely to proceed before parliamentary elections on October 10. [For background see EurasiaNet’s archive].
Ethnic violence southern Kyrgyzstan in June left at least 400 dead and 400,000 displaced. Two international-led investigations found fault with the response of Kyrgyz law enforcement officials, helping to prompt Otunbayeva to ask the OSCE to send a police-monitoring mission. On July 22, the OSCE Permanent Council agreed to send a 52-member, unarmed Police Advisory Group to train and assist Kyrgyz law enforcement officers. The initial deployment was to be for four months in and around Osh.More ...
Some prominent Kyrgyz political figures -- led by Melis Myrzakmatov, the combative and independent-minded mayor of Osh -- have staunchly opposed the deployment of a foreign mission on Kyrgyz soil. Internal opposition has prompted provisional President Rosa Otunbayeva to backtrack on deployment plans. The issue has become so politicized that sources close to the OSCE police mission believe deployment is unlikely to proceed before parliamentary elections on October 10. [For background see EurasiaNet’s archive].
Ethnic violence southern Kyrgyzstan in June left at least 400 dead and 400,000 displaced. Two international-led investigations found fault with the response of Kyrgyz law enforcement officials, helping to prompt Otunbayeva to ask the OSCE to send a police-monitoring mission. On July 22, the OSCE Permanent Council agreed to send a 52-member, unarmed Police Advisory Group to train and assist Kyrgyz law enforcement officers. The initial deployment was to be for four months in and around Osh.More ...
Belarus rejects second Bakiyev extradition request
31.08.2010.
RIA Novosti - Belarus has refused for the second time a request to extradite the ousted Kyrgyz president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the Kyrgyz prosecutor general said on Friday.More ...
Моя миссия - вернуть в Киргизию капиталы, вывезенные Бакиевым
31.08.2010.
В Бишкеке с 25 по 29 августа побывала немногочисленная делегация из Европы. Ее основная цель - помочь вернуть в Киргизию капиталы, вывезенные из страны семьей Бакиева. В составе делегации - депутат бундестага от партии "зеленых" Виола фон Крамон (Viola von Cramon), которая в ходе визита пообщалась с действующим президентом Киргизии Розой Отунбаевой. Об итогах встречи и своих наблюдениях она рассказала в интервью Deutsche Welle. More ...
OSCE media freedom representative commends appointment of supervisory board for Kyrgyzstan's public service broadcaster, urges swift reform
31.08.2010.
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, commended today the appointment of a supervisory board for Kyrgyzstan's public service broadcaster and called on the board to move rapidly to provide viewers with fair and impartial news coverage.More ...
The void in Asia's heart
31.08.2010.
There is a hole in the map of Central Asia where Kyrgyzstan used to be. A country once considered an outpost of relative tolerance and democracy in a region of dysfunctional authoritarian regimes is today a deeply divided, practically failed, state. If the international response to its descent into political chaos is not swift and bold, the consequences will be disastrous.More ...
Russia’s Rwanda
18.06.2010.
As it contemplates the violence that has claimed the lives of well over a hundred people in its backyard nation of Kyrgyzstan, Russia should look to France's experience in Central Africa for lessons. There are distinct parallels. Just as Paris maintained strong links with its former colonies across Africa, Russia has maintained its with the governments of former Soviet Republics in Central Asia. But just as Paris lost so much traction when Rwanda ignited in 1994, wrong moves in Kyrgyzstan might alter those treasured links between Moscow and Central Asia for good. More ...
Joint Letter to the UN Security Council Regarding the Ongoing Crisis in Kyrgyzsta
18.06.2010.
To: Security Council Ambassadors
Your Excellency,
We urge the United Nations Security Council to take immediate steps to address the ongoing crisis in Kyrgyzstan. With a death toll likely to reach far higher than the official count of 200 and an estimated 400,000 displaced in Kyrgyzstan and across the border in Uzbekistan, the situation poses a significant threat to international peace and security. The Kyrgyz authorities have primary responsibility for halting the violence and resolving this crisis, but reports from the ground provide ample evidence that the government is unable to protect those in need, and Kyrgyz authorities have already acknowledged that they need substantial assistance. More ...
Your Excellency,
We urge the United Nations Security Council to take immediate steps to address the ongoing crisis in Kyrgyzstan. With a death toll likely to reach far higher than the official count of 200 and an estimated 400,000 displaced in Kyrgyzstan and across the border in Uzbekistan, the situation poses a significant threat to international peace and security. The Kyrgyz authorities have primary responsibility for halting the violence and resolving this crisis, but reports from the ground provide ample evidence that the government is unable to protect those in need, and Kyrgyz authorities have already acknowledged that they need substantial assistance. More ...
Death, dictators and the Soviet legacy
18.06.2010.
It is arguable that the wave of ethnic killings in southern Kyrgyzstan that started last Saturday – which has left hundreds of Uzbeks dead and tens of thousands homeless – is, at root, the fault of Joseph Stalin. The Soviet Union was in theory just that – a union of Soviet socialist republics. Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were three of them. But whatever the theory, Stalin had no intention of allowing the republics to become viable entities or potential power bases for rivals. So he intervened personally and the republics were deliberately messed up with boundaries that cut across natural economic units and severed cultural and ethnic links.More ...
Why is ethnic violence erupting between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Southern Kyrgyzstan?
18.06.2010.
As we watched the horrible news of violent chaos that overtook Southern Kyrgyzstan over the last week, the first question that came to mind was – why? Why would people who have been neighbors for decades be drawn into such senseless violence? Is it related to the overthrow of Bakiyev's government, or are we witnessing something completely unrelated? While information coming out of Osh and Jalalabad remains spotty, there is plenty reason to believe that the triggers of the unrest are related to the political instability in the country. More ...
Bakiyev sought
17.06.2010.
Kyrgyzstan's interim government has stepped up pressure on Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the former president, whom it suspects of fomenting the recent ethnic clashes in the country, write Charles Clover in Moscow and James Boxell in London.
The government is seeking to have Mr Bakiyev, who fled the country on April 7 after a violent coup, and his son extradited to Bishkek to face charges of terrorism and mass murder.
Officials accuse Mr Bakiyev of planning the violence in the cities of Osh and Jalalabad on June 10. Mr Bakiyev is in exile in Belarus, which has refused to extradite him.
Mr Bakiyev's son Maksim was detained by border police in Britain on Sunday, but the circumstances are unclear.
He reportedly sought political asylum. UK officials said he would only be formally arrested once an extradition had been agreed with Kyrgyzstan.
The elder Mr Bakiyev denies taking part in any plot. The younger could not be reached for comment.
Financial Times
The government is seeking to have Mr Bakiyev, who fled the country on April 7 after a violent coup, and his son extradited to Bishkek to face charges of terrorism and mass murder.
Officials accuse Mr Bakiyev of planning the violence in the cities of Osh and Jalalabad on June 10. Mr Bakiyev is in exile in Belarus, which has refused to extradite him.
Mr Bakiyev's son Maksim was detained by border police in Britain on Sunday, but the circumstances are unclear.
He reportedly sought political asylum. UK officials said he would only be formally arrested once an extradition had been agreed with Kyrgyzstan.
The elder Mr Bakiyev denies taking part in any plot. The younger could not be reached for comment.
Financial Times
U.S. ties to ex-Kyrgyz regime are questioned
17.06.2010.
Weeks before ethnic clashes killed hundreds of people in this Central Asian republic, an audio recording was posted on YouTube that presaged the mayhem.
"We need to find 500 b—ds…and keep [the country] in a constant mess," said a voice that government officials here say was that of Maksim Bakiyev, the 32-year-old son of the ousted president. "Somebody needs to kick up a fuss."More ...
"We need to find 500 b—ds…and keep [the country] in a constant mess," said a voice that government officials here say was that of Maksim Bakiyev, the 32-year-old son of the ousted president. "Somebody needs to kick up a fuss."More ...
Russia and the crisis in Osh
17.06.2010.
As Moscow grapples with the question of whether to intervene to stop the violence in southern Kyrgyzstan, it is forced to confront a vexing issue: can Russia utilize its political and military potential to help resolve local and regional conflicts in Central Asia?More ...
A test for mutual security
17.06.2010.
Politically driven ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan has already claimed more than 100 lives and threatens to erase the country’s progress toward self-government following the April ouster of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.
It is an ominous sign that a society which had undertaken impressive reforms aimed at creating the region's first parliamentary democracy is now teetering on the brink of outright civil war and state failure.More ...
It is an ominous sign that a society which had undertaken impressive reforms aimed at creating the region's first parliamentary democracy is now teetering on the brink of outright civil war and state failure.More ...
Kyrgyz violence began with coordinated attacks -UN says
15.06.2010.
Violence in Kyrgyzstan appears to have begun with five coordinated attacks and has taken on an inter-ethnic character that could spiral out of control, the U.N. human rights office warned on Tuesday.More ...
Kyrgyzstan presses Russia to quell unrest
15.06.2010.
Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday held out the possibility of reviewing an airbase agreement with the US in an apparent effort to convince Russia to provide peacekeeping forces to quell unrest in the south of the country.More ...
Aid starts to arrive in Kyrgyzstan as violence abates
15.06.2010.
OSH, Kyrgyzstan — A plane carrying 40 tons of flour, pasta, cooking oil and other food landed at the airport in this traumatized city on Tuesday, and citizens tentatively ventured out onto the street for the first time since spasms of ethnic violence seized the city last Thursday.More ...
Kyrgyzstan requested U.S. military aid and rubber bullets but was turned down
15.06.2010.
Before Kyrgyzstan turned to Russia, it informally asked Washington for military assistance including a supply of rubber bullets to quell ethnic bloodletting in the south of the country, but was turned down, I am told by people privy to the situation. Russia says it may deploy troops if it's a collective regional decision.More ...
Kyrgyzstan unrest gives big powers cause for concern
15.06.2010.
If recent history is any guide, the ethnic violence roiling southern Kyrgyzstan is unlikely to be prolonged or to spark a wider conflagration in neighbouring Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Similar outbreaks ignited by disputes over land, food prices and poll results across the divided Fergana valley in 1990 and 2005 eventually subsided, with or without the type of foreign intervention sought at the weekend by the interim government in Bishkek.More ...
Provocateurs seen behind ethnic clash
15.06.2010.
As reported, on June 10, clashes between the ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek population in the southern Kyrgyzstan have developed into a large-scale violence and further exodus of the Uzbeks residing in Kyrgyzstan.
Three days of pogroms have led to serious humanitarian disaster in the isolated conflict zone - the population still has limited access to telephony, electricity and food products after several nights of shooting and looting. There was a threat that the conflict could involve other regions of the Southern Kyrgyzstan, including Jalal-Abad (the former president Bakiyev's homeland), which is close to Osh, the place of initial unrest.More ...
Three days of pogroms have led to serious humanitarian disaster in the isolated conflict zone - the population still has limited access to telephony, electricity and food products after several nights of shooting and looting. There was a threat that the conflict could involve other regions of the Southern Kyrgyzstan, including Jalal-Abad (the former president Bakiyev's homeland), which is close to Osh, the place of initial unrest.More ...
Danish journalist Michael Andersen: I am ashamed that European media and politicians do not understand the tragedy in Kyrgyzstan
15.06.2010.
European media pay little attention to the tragedy in South Kyrgyzstan. They view it as an interethnic clash between nations which they know very little about. Current media interest is motivated by either national interests – European interests do not include small and poor Kyrgyzstan – or having by vivid pictures which are not widely available since Southern Kyrgyzstan cannot be easily reached by foreign correspondents. This means that in Western media, the pain and blood of Osh cannot compete with this week’s main story – the football World Cup. Danish journalist Michael Andersen informed Ferghana.Ru about the reaction of European media and politicians.More ...
Uzbeks itching to join the fight in Osh
14.06.2010.
Not everyone in Uzbekistan is happy with the fairly moderate statement on the violence in Osh that Tashkent made on Saturday, saying that the violence was provoked by "forces, whose interests are totally remote from the interests of the Kyrgyz people." I talked today with Sukhrobjon Ismailov, the ace Tashkent-based analyst who told me that many people in the Uzbekistan military and security services want to intervene in Osh on the side of the Uzbeks. Ordinary Uzbeks in the Ferghana Valley are also itching to get into the fight, and many in Uzbekistan are calling what is happening in Osh a "genocide" against Uzbeks. It is Islam Karimov, Ismoilov said, who is trying to keep Uzbek emotions in check.More ...
War in Kyrgyzstan: what is causing the violence?
14.06.2010.
When the five former Soviet republics of central Asia gained their independence with the breakup of the USSR there were hopes that Kyrgyzstan might achieve a semblance of responsible rule.
This small country of 5.5 million people had a relatively developed civil society and free press. But hopes were dashed under Askar Akayev, a president accused by the opposition of nepotism, corruption and growing authoritarianism.More ...
This small country of 5.5 million people had a relatively developed civil society and free press. But hopes were dashed under Askar Akayev, a president accused by the opposition of nepotism, corruption and growing authoritarianism.More ...
Kyrgyzstan Violence: Conspiracies Abound
14.06.2010.
Some random, hastily collected thoughts as a study break: Who is to blame? Who is doing the killing? Why?
These questions have been asked over and over again in regards to short episodes of violence in Central Asia since 1986, starting with the Almaty “Kunaev” riots. Other examples of violent riots/pogroms include the May 1989 attacks on Armenians in Turkmenistan, the 1989 Uzbek pogroms against Meskhets in the Ferghana valley, summer 1989 fighting between Tajiks and Kyrgyz in Isfara, the February 1990 riots in Dushanbe that left 50 dead (half of them non-Tajiks – including Slavs), summer 1990 in Osh as Uzbeks and Kyrgyz killed each other, May-September 1992 in the collective farms of the Vakhsh valley, etc….More ...
These questions have been asked over and over again in regards to short episodes of violence in Central Asia since 1986, starting with the Almaty “Kunaev” riots. Other examples of violent riots/pogroms include the May 1989 attacks on Armenians in Turkmenistan, the 1989 Uzbek pogroms against Meskhets in the Ferghana valley, summer 1989 fighting between Tajiks and Kyrgyz in Isfara, the February 1990 riots in Dushanbe that left 50 dead (half of them non-Tajiks – including Slavs), summer 1990 in Osh as Uzbeks and Kyrgyz killed each other, May-September 1992 in the collective farms of the Vakhsh valley, etc….More ...
Kyrgyzstan death toll rises as ethnic slaughter continues
14.06.2010.
Sporadic gunfire continued through the night and fresh fires raged in southern Kyrgyzstan today, as the country's worst ethnic violence in decades showed no signs of abating.
The official death toll reached 117, with 1,500 hurt, the health ministry announced this morning. Thousands have already fled the country.
Accounts from international aid agencies and other witnesses suggest the real toll could be much higher: the Red Cross has said its delegates witnessed about 100 bodies being buried in one cemetery.
An ethnic Uzbek woman at the border of Uzbekistan after fleeing the riots in southern Kyrgyzstan. Photograph: AFP/Getty ImagesMore ...
The official death toll reached 117, with 1,500 hurt, the health ministry announced this morning. Thousands have already fled the country.
Accounts from international aid agencies and other witnesses suggest the real toll could be much higher: the Red Cross has said its delegates witnessed about 100 bodies being buried in one cemetery.
An ethnic Uzbek woman at the border of Uzbekistan after fleeing the riots in southern Kyrgyzstan. Photograph: AFP/Getty ImagesMore ...
Osh burning again
14.06.2010.
Registan is naturally from the top of the information food chain when it comes to the situation in Kyrgyzstan. Reading these stories, along with our own attempts to parse meaning and motive from ethnicity and criminality, I’m struck by the lack of information available to anyone at all. Whatever the cause, the violence is approaching a state of chaos.
New fires raged Monday across Osh — the second-largest city that’s on the border with Uzbekistan, and where food and water were becoming scarce. Armed looters smashed stores, stealing anything from televisions to food.
No police could be seen on the streets, though authorities insisted some of the improvised checkpoints dotted around the city of 250,000 were theirs.
Cars stolen from ethnic Uzbeks raced around the city, most crowded with young Kyrgyz wielding sharpened sticks, axes and metal rods.
In some parts of Osh, Kyrgyz residents protected homes housing both Kyrgyz and Uzbek.
In another city beset by violence, Jalal-Abad, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, armed Kyrgyz amassed at the central square. Their stated goal was to travel to the nearby Uzbek settlement of Suzak in search of an Uzbek community leader they blame for starting the trouble.
The Uzbek border is just 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Osh. Uzbek refugees were mostly elderly people, women and children, with younger men staying behind to defend their property. Some were fired on as they fled.
Internet news stories seem to have the news only as it gets edited and regurgitated from the forum and twitter feeds, and who knows how reliable any of those is? Without people on the ground or a government in power, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to describe the situation, let alone hope for a quick and merciful end to the violence.
The military presence is clearly not enough, as a military patrol in Jalalabad was almost hi-jacked by gangs of Kyrgyz men. Even though the military has been given permission (or shall I say ordered?) to fire on sight any and all violent looters, there are allegations that the military refuses to fire on fellow Kyrgyz men. It doesn’t take much more than this to make people start using the G-word.
But there may yet be a reckoning for some of those responsible, as “The commandant of Jalalabad Kubatbek Baibolov said that the authorities managed to apprehend one of the suspects alleged to have organized and carried out the mass ethnic riots in Osh.” (another link to that story, also Russian and one more from the BBC in Russian) The suspect will be charged also with attempting to overthrow the government, suggesting some connection with the government’s accusations that Bakiev & Co. are behind the riots. Perhaps even a Bakiev brother?
“You could say that it is well-known political figure.”
Registan
New fires raged Monday across Osh — the second-largest city that’s on the border with Uzbekistan, and where food and water were becoming scarce. Armed looters smashed stores, stealing anything from televisions to food.
No police could be seen on the streets, though authorities insisted some of the improvised checkpoints dotted around the city of 250,000 were theirs.
Cars stolen from ethnic Uzbeks raced around the city, most crowded with young Kyrgyz wielding sharpened sticks, axes and metal rods.
In some parts of Osh, Kyrgyz residents protected homes housing both Kyrgyz and Uzbek.
In another city beset by violence, Jalal-Abad, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, armed Kyrgyz amassed at the central square. Their stated goal was to travel to the nearby Uzbek settlement of Suzak in search of an Uzbek community leader they blame for starting the trouble.
The Uzbek border is just 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Osh. Uzbek refugees were mostly elderly people, women and children, with younger men staying behind to defend their property. Some were fired on as they fled.
Internet news stories seem to have the news only as it gets edited and regurgitated from the forum and twitter feeds, and who knows how reliable any of those is? Without people on the ground or a government in power, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to describe the situation, let alone hope for a quick and merciful end to the violence.
The military presence is clearly not enough, as a military patrol in Jalalabad was almost hi-jacked by gangs of Kyrgyz men. Even though the military has been given permission (or shall I say ordered?) to fire on sight any and all violent looters, there are allegations that the military refuses to fire on fellow Kyrgyz men. It doesn’t take much more than this to make people start using the G-word.
But there may yet be a reckoning for some of those responsible, as “The commandant of Jalalabad Kubatbek Baibolov said that the authorities managed to apprehend one of the suspects alleged to have organized and carried out the mass ethnic riots in Osh.” (another link to that story, also Russian and one more from the BBC in Russian) The suspect will be charged also with attempting to overthrow the government, suggesting some connection with the government’s accusations that Bakiev & Co. are behind the riots. Perhaps even a Bakiev brother?
“You could say that it is well-known political figure.”
Registan
Kyrgyzstan erupts into ethnic war
14.06.2010.
Kyrgyzstan was tonight in the grip of a bloody ethnic war after rioting that erupted four days ago in the southern city of Osh spread rapidly to other areas, with gun battles raging between Kyrgyz and Uzbek youths.More ...
Ethnic Uzbeks tell of slaughter in Kyrgyz city
14.06.2010.
Ethnic Uzbeks said Kyrgyz gangs were carrying out genocide on Sunday in besieged neighbourhoods of Kyrgyzstan's second city Osh, burning residents out of their homes and shooting them as they fled.More ...
Partial military mobilization raises risks in Kyrgyzstan
14.06.2010.
Kyrgyzstan's provisional government is partially mobilizing its armed forces, raising the possibility of the military's attempted intervention in civil violence that has devastated southern regions of the Central Asian nation. Some experts are interpreting the move as a sign of desperation.More ...
I call it a massacre!
13.06.2010.
Call it whatever you want, but I name it a massacre of Uzbeks in Osh and Jalalabad (Kyrgyzstan), which is, at the moment, still going on and the Interim government headed by Rosa Otunbaeva cannot do anything to prevent it. I knew of disaffection, I knew of tension, but I never knew there was so much hatred against Uzbeks in the South of Kyrgyzstan. I am not blaming all Kyrgyz for this. I am blaming the incapable Interim government, and those people, who provoked masses, and especially those stupid Uzbeks and Kyrgyz, who are buying it.
More ...
More ...Kyrgyzstan gives police shoot-to-kill powers amid ethnic violence
13.06.2010.
Kyrgyzstan's interim government has granted its security forces shoot-to-kill powers after a third night of violence left at least 83 people dead and more than 1,100 wounded in the country's worst ethnic violence in 20 years.
Ethnic Uzbeks gather near the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border in southern Kyrgyzstan, trying to seek refuge from mobs of Kyrgyz men. Photograph: D Dalton Bennett/APMore ...
Ethnic Uzbeks gather near the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border in southern Kyrgyzstan, trying to seek refuge from mobs of Kyrgyz men. Photograph: D Dalton Bennett/APMore ...
Uzbek foreign ministry confident Bishkek can cope
13.06.2010.
Kyrgyzstan's struggling interrim government is trying to handle the growing humanitarian crisis ensuing from Kyrgyz-Uzbek clashes in the southern Kyrgyz towns of Osh and Jalal-Abad. The death toll in clashes from the last 3 days is now at 84 with 1,117 wounded, AKIpress.orgreports. While Uzbekistan has issued a statement condemning the violence and expressing confidence that Kyrgyzstan will cope on its own, Tashkent has sent troops to the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border to help strengthen security, 24.kg has reported.More ...
Kyrgyzstan closes borders as death toll mounts
13.06.2010.
Kyrgyzstan has closed its borders with China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as the death toll inarmed clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the Kyrgyz city of Osh reached 50, with 650 more wounded, regnum.ru reported June 12. The border with Kazakhstan remains open. A state of emergency has been declared in the cities of Osh and Uzgen and also Aravan and Karassu districts of Osh region.
A key factor in the clashes between "the political elite of Kyrgyzstan" and leaders of the ethnic Uzbek population in the south is the status of the Uzbek language, the independent online Uzbek news service ferghana.ru reported. On June 1, two weeks after clashes broke out in Jalalal-Abad, members of the Uzbek national center in Osh distributed an appeal protesting what they termed "the violation of the rights of Uzbeks on the use of their native language."
The authors of the appeal say there are about one million ethnic Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan, which they consider their "historic homeland." The Uzbeks complained that there was a lack of television broadcasting on the state channels KTR and ElTR in their native language. The draft constitution, the subject of a referendum to be held June 27, does not mention that Uzbek language, says ferghana.ru.
Efforts have been made to poll citizens on their attitude toward multilingualism in Kyrgyzstan but observers say that various media in different languages will tend to skew the results of such polls, making them untrustworthy. Uzbeks have also complained of a lack of representation in local governing bodies. Local politicians don't believe lack of minority representation is a problem, but they may not be acknowleding the growth of the Uzbek population, say observers.
Vakhidjan Ergashev, a businessman and public figure in Jalal-Abad, says:
The authorities simply try not to publicize the real figures of the growth of the Uzbek language. Why, for example, are figures missing on the ethnic breakdown of the population by region? In fact, such an analysis would immediately highlight places densely populated with Uzbeks, whose numbers in reality are growing faster than they officially appear on paper.
Asylbek Keshikbayev, an expert on state and regional development says as the native Kyrgyz-language population migrates from the region, ethnic Uzbeks or refugees have moved in. Independent journalist Aleksandr Kulinsky says Kyrgyzstan has not done anything since the 1990s to integrate the Uzbeks into the ruling structures of the country, and now faces the reality that the Uzbek population is significantly larger than the Kyrgyz in the south, ferghana.ru reported. Some observers have called the situation in the south of Kyrgyzstan "a second Kosovo," as the minority population grows, and feels its language issues are unresolved.
Human rights activists from the Foundation for International Tolerance have conducted meetings recently in the region and called for removing the line indicating "nationality," or ethnicity from the Kyrgyz passport in order to reduce discrimination.
In a separate development, Uzbek border guards have cut off Arnasai, a village near Kazakhstan's southern border with Uzbekistan which became an exclave surrounded by Uzbek territory after delimitation of the Kazakh-Uzbek border some years ago, Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe reported. Some families are reportedly running out of drinking water due to the blockade, imposed June 7, Arnasai village governor Basymbek Kalzhigitov told journalists. Kazakh officials are currently in talks on the situation with Uzbek counterparts, who have not explained their actions.
Eurasianet
A key factor in the clashes between "the political elite of Kyrgyzstan" and leaders of the ethnic Uzbek population in the south is the status of the Uzbek language, the independent online Uzbek news service ferghana.ru reported. On June 1, two weeks after clashes broke out in Jalalal-Abad, members of the Uzbek national center in Osh distributed an appeal protesting what they termed "the violation of the rights of Uzbeks on the use of their native language."
The authors of the appeal say there are about one million ethnic Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan, which they consider their "historic homeland." The Uzbeks complained that there was a lack of television broadcasting on the state channels KTR and ElTR in their native language. The draft constitution, the subject of a referendum to be held June 27, does not mention that Uzbek language, says ferghana.ru.
Efforts have been made to poll citizens on their attitude toward multilingualism in Kyrgyzstan but observers say that various media in different languages will tend to skew the results of such polls, making them untrustworthy. Uzbeks have also complained of a lack of representation in local governing bodies. Local politicians don't believe lack of minority representation is a problem, but they may not be acknowleding the growth of the Uzbek population, say observers.
Vakhidjan Ergashev, a businessman and public figure in Jalal-Abad, says:
The authorities simply try not to publicize the real figures of the growth of the Uzbek language. Why, for example, are figures missing on the ethnic breakdown of the population by region? In fact, such an analysis would immediately highlight places densely populated with Uzbeks, whose numbers in reality are growing faster than they officially appear on paper.
Asylbek Keshikbayev, an expert on state and regional development says as the native Kyrgyz-language population migrates from the region, ethnic Uzbeks or refugees have moved in. Independent journalist Aleksandr Kulinsky says Kyrgyzstan has not done anything since the 1990s to integrate the Uzbeks into the ruling structures of the country, and now faces the reality that the Uzbek population is significantly larger than the Kyrgyz in the south, ferghana.ru reported. Some observers have called the situation in the south of Kyrgyzstan "a second Kosovo," as the minority population grows, and feels its language issues are unresolved.
Human rights activists from the Foundation for International Tolerance have conducted meetings recently in the region and called for removing the line indicating "nationality," or ethnicity from the Kyrgyz passport in order to reduce discrimination.
In a separate development, Uzbek border guards have cut off Arnasai, a village near Kazakhstan's southern border with Uzbekistan which became an exclave surrounded by Uzbek territory after delimitation of the Kazakh-Uzbek border some years ago, Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe reported. Some families are reportedly running out of drinking water due to the blockade, imposed June 7, Arnasai village governor Basymbek Kalzhigitov told journalists. Kazakh officials are currently in talks on the situation with Uzbek counterparts, who have not explained their actions.
Eurasianet
Bishkek asks for Russian troops to contain Osh violence
13.06.2010.
In a move that may have lasting political implications for Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan's provisional government has appealed to Russia to deploy troops to help restore order in the southern city of Osh.More ...
Violence may spread beyond Osh
12.06.2010.
The flaring of ethnic conflict in Kyrgyzstan, the worst violence since the April revolution, is currently confined to the southern city of Osh but ACT Alliance members fear it may spread to other parts of the country and beyond, in a region ACT describes as an often forgotten corner of the world.
Tatiana Kotova, of the ACT Central Asia Forum, speaking from the capital Bishkek, said that fighting between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks could easily escalate.More ...
Tatiana Kotova, of the ACT Central Asia Forum, speaking from the capital Bishkek, said that fighting between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks could easily escalate.More ...
Kyrgyzstan appeals for outside help as death toll rises
12.06.2010.
Kyrgyzstan has appealed for outside help to quell rioting and interethnic violence that has claimed at least 51 lives in the south of the country.
Interim leader Roza Otunbaeva told reporters today she has sent a letter to the Russian government asking Moscow to help resolve the ongoing conflict in Osh, and that she welcomed help from other countries. More ...
Interim leader Roza Otunbaeva told reporters today she has sent a letter to the Russian government asking Moscow to help resolve the ongoing conflict in Osh, and that she welcomed help from other countries. More ...
US stops refueling tanker planes at key base
01.06.2010.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman says the military has stopped refueling tanker planes at the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan as the U.S. renegotiates with the local government on how much it will pay for fuel.
The base is considered a crucial transit center for sending troops and supplies in and out of Afghanistan. U.S. access was threatened this spring when street protests brought down the government and forced the president to flee.
Whitman and other U.S. military officials said Tuesday that transit flights continue at the base. But the spokesman also said that in an effort to conserve fuel, tanker planes are no longer stopping at Manas and are going elsewhere to refuel.
Washington Post
The base is considered a crucial transit center for sending troops and supplies in and out of Afghanistan. U.S. access was threatened this spring when street protests brought down the government and forced the president to flee.
Whitman and other U.S. military officials said Tuesday that transit flights continue at the base. But the spokesman also said that in an effort to conserve fuel, tanker planes are no longer stopping at Manas and are going elsewhere to refuel.
Washington Post
Democratic Change It's Not
01.06.2010.
There are basically two schools of thought when it comes to explaining what happened in Kyrgyzstan in April. Proponents of the democracy school will argue that what we witnessed was a legitimate uprising against an unjust and oppressive regime set up by President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. The other school, the realists, will explain the April events as a coup against the government organized by a power-hungry opposition supported and financed from the outside.More ...
US Congress Hearing on Kyrgyzstan
23.04.2010.
After the Subcommttee Hearing at the US Congress, the journalist Steve LeVine interviewed some of the experts who gave a testimony.
New York-based lawyer Scott Horton, asserts that, if the precise same fuels contract had involved a U.S. commercial entity, it would be subject to investigation by the U.S. Justice Department.
Alexander Cooley, a Columbia University professor who has studied the Manas base as part of a look at numerous U.S. bases around the world, called the fuel scandal a problem both of local Kyrgyz politics and U.S. national security. He said that Kyrgyz politicians are certain to seize on the military base as an issue in October presidential elections. If the fuel scandal isn't resolved by then -- meaning if the U.S. hasn't fessed up -- Cooley suggested that the base could be in trouble.
Sam Patten, who watches Eurasia for Freedom House, a New York-based NGO, also raised the issue of the Embassy failing to engage with the opposition, but went further and argued that the State Department had ultimately failed to observe U.S. law obligating it to encourage democracy. Patten asserted that the State Department needs to watch more closely, because uprisings are bound to spread regionally. "The question in Uzbekistan isn't if revolution will happen, but when it will happen," Patten told the committee.
Oil and Glory
New York-based lawyer Scott Horton, asserts that, if the precise same fuels contract had involved a U.S. commercial entity, it would be subject to investigation by the U.S. Justice Department.
Alexander Cooley, a Columbia University professor who has studied the Manas base as part of a look at numerous U.S. bases around the world, called the fuel scandal a problem both of local Kyrgyz politics and U.S. national security. He said that Kyrgyz politicians are certain to seize on the military base as an issue in October presidential elections. If the fuel scandal isn't resolved by then -- meaning if the U.S. hasn't fessed up -- Cooley suggested that the base could be in trouble.
Sam Patten, who watches Eurasia for Freedom House, a New York-based NGO, also raised the issue of the Embassy failing to engage with the opposition, but went further and argued that the State Department had ultimately failed to observe U.S. law obligating it to encourage democracy. Patten asserted that the State Department needs to watch more closely, because uprisings are bound to spread regionally. "The question in Uzbekistan isn't if revolution will happen, but when it will happen," Patten told the committee.
Oil and Glory
The Bakiyev system of corruption an misuse of international money
22.04.2010.
In a briefing on April 16 in Brussels, ETG presented its findings on the corruptive system during the Bakiyev reign.
The presentation charts are attached.
The presentation charts are attached.
Ousted leader leaves Kyrgyzstan
15.04.2010.
Deposed Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has left the country on a plane for Kazakhstan.
His departure comes in the wake of a 7 April uprising that killed scores of people and forced him to flee the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.
He had been living in his home region of Jalalabad in the south of the country, trying to muster support.
Shots were fired earlier in the day at a rally in the south, where Mr Bakiyev had been addressing supporters.
Mr Bakiyev was said to have left the country for talks with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, according to Russian news agencies.
His motorcade was seen arriving at the airport in Jalalabad, before a plane departed on Thursday, AP news agency said.
BBC
His departure comes in the wake of a 7 April uprising that killed scores of people and forced him to flee the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.
He had been living in his home region of Jalalabad in the south of the country, trying to muster support.
Shots were fired earlier in the day at a rally in the south, where Mr Bakiyev had been addressing supporters.
Mr Bakiyev was said to have left the country for talks with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, according to Russian news agencies.
His motorcade was seen arriving at the airport in Jalalabad, before a plane departed on Thursday, AP news agency said.
BBC
Gunfire breaks up rally for deposed Kyrgyzstan president
15.04.2010.
Gunfire broke out today at a rally where the deposed president of Kyrgyzstan was speaking to supporters. Kurmanbek Bakiyev was quickly hustled into a car and driven away, and there were no apparent injuries in the crowd.
The deposed Kyrgyzstan president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, greets supporters before his intended address in Osh. Photograph: Denis Sinyakov/ReutersMore ...
The deposed Kyrgyzstan president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, greets supporters before his intended address in Osh. Photograph: Denis Sinyakov/ReutersMore ...
US backs interim Kyrgyz government
14.04.2010.
The United States said on Wednesday it was prepared to help Kyrgyzstan’s new rulers, adding pressure on ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev who hinted he may go into exile.
The uncertainty over Bakiyev’s position has disrupted flights out of the Kyrgyz air base which the United States rents to support the war in Afghanistan and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned the impoverished Central Asian country may be on the brink of civil war.More ...
The uncertainty over Bakiyev’s position has disrupted flights out of the Kyrgyz air base which the United States rents to support the war in Afghanistan and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned the impoverished Central Asian country may be on the brink of civil war.More ...
Kyrgyztan's ousted leader Bakiyev 'must stand trial'
14.04.2010.
The interim leader of Kyrgyzstan has said ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev should stand trial over the recent deadly political unrest.
Roza Otunbayeva said Mr Bakiyev had "blood on his hands" and had missed his chance to leave the country.
Mr Bakiyev, currently in the south of the country, had said he was willing to resign if his safety was guaranteed.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned Kyrgyzstan is "on the brink of civil war".
More ...
Roza Otunbayeva said Mr Bakiyev had "blood on his hands" and had missed his chance to leave the country.
Mr Bakiyev, currently in the south of the country, had said he was willing to resign if his safety was guaranteed.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned Kyrgyzstan is "on the brink of civil war".
More ...
Top US envoy in Kyrgyzstan for talks after revolt
14.04.2010.
A top U.S diplomat arrived for talks with Kyrgyzstan's interim leaders on Wednesday about defusing a crisis in the Central Asian country, where Washington rents an air base to back its war effort in Afghanistan.More ...
Kyrgyzstan coup: Bakiyev inching closer to leaving the country
14.04.2010.
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, pushed from power in the Kyrgyzstan coup last week, is nearing a deal to allow him and his family to leave the country, cooling concerns of further violence in the Central Asian nation, according to media reports from the capital Bishkek.
Sergei Grits/AP
More ...
Sergei Grits/AP
More ...
US Air Base contracts face scrutiny
14.04.2010.
The upheaval gripping Kyrgyzstan is disrupting the flow of troops and materials bound for Afghanistan. A Defense Department announcement stated that the American-operated Manas Transit Center, located outside the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, will remain closed to US military and contractor air traffic from April 8-12.More ...
Kulov returns to political stage
14.04.2010.
With Kyrgyzstan’s political situation still in flux, one of the lions of Kyrgyz politics in the post-Soviet era, Felix Kulov, is reemerging from the shadows. In an exclusive interview with EurasiaNet.org, Kulov counseled pragmatism as the provisional government wrestles with the present and starts pondering how to account for the past.More ...
Kyrgyzstan’s Bakiyev offers to step down
13.04.2010.
Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Kyrgyzstan’s fugitive president, said he was ready to step down on Tuesday but only if the new interim government would guarantee his and his family’s personal safety, as tension mounted in this strategically-important Central Asian country.More ...
U.S. voices concern as protests plunge Kyrgyzstan into chaos
08.04.2010.
Opposition demonstrators appeared Wednesday to have seized power in Kyrgyzstan, which is host to an important U.S. military base, after a day of bloody clashes that left dozens dead and forced the Central Asian country's president to flee the capital.
Leaders of the opposition said they had taken over key installations in Bishkek and were forming a new government. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev flew to Osh, a regional city where he enjoys support, according to news reports. His plans were uncertain, as was his ability to command the country's security forces and reassert his authority.
The death toll of about 40 was likely to rise, health officials in Bishkek said, noting that hundreds of protesters were injured in the violence.More ...
Leaders of the opposition said they had taken over key installations in Bishkek and were forming a new government. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev flew to Osh, a regional city where he enjoys support, according to news reports. His plans were uncertain, as was his ability to command the country's security forces and reassert his authority.
The death toll of about 40 was likely to rise, health officials in Bishkek said, noting that hundreds of protesters were injured in the violence.More ...
Kyrgyzstan opposition seizes power after day of protests
08.04.2010.
Opposition leaders in Kyrgyzstan today declared that they had seized power and had taken control of security headquarters, state television and various government buildings.
The declaration came a day after riot police shot dead at least 60 people and protesters attempted to storm the main government building in the capital, Bishkek.
The opposition leader, Roza Otunbayeva, called for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to resign and said she planned to run an interim government for six months to draft a new constitution for the central Asian state.More ...
The declaration came a day after riot police shot dead at least 60 people and protesters attempted to storm the main government building in the capital, Bishkek.
The opposition leader, Roza Otunbayeva, called for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to resign and said she planned to run an interim government for six months to draft a new constitution for the central Asian state.More ...
HIV and Drug Traffic in Central Asia
25.03.2010.
A very good and intense documentary on drug traffic and HIV infection throughout Central Asia, filmed by Michael Andersen for Aljazeera.
Kyrgyz leader says Western democracy unsuitable
23.03.2010.
AP-------Kyrgyzstan’s president said Tuesday that Western-style democracy has run its course in the ex-Soviet Central Asian country, prompting fears of a further decline in political freedoms.
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev told a national congress that democracy based on elections and individual human rights may no longer be suitable for Kyrgyzstan. He said "consultative democracy," envisaging dialogues with influential social groups, would be more in keeping with his country's traditions.More ...
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev told a national congress that democracy based on elections and individual human rights may no longer be suitable for Kyrgyzstan. He said "consultative democracy," envisaging dialogues with influential social groups, would be more in keeping with his country's traditions.More ...
Kyrgyz opposition newspaper seized before prote
16.03.2010.
REUTERS ----- Police in Kyrgyzstan have seized all copies of an opposition newspaper before a planned anti-government rally in the Central Asian country, the paper's owner said on Tuesday.More ...
Internet censorship: Kyrgyzstan blocks independent web-sites
10.03.2010.
Today, since the early morning, internet users around Kyrgyzstan have been discussing blocking of a website of Information Agency Ferghana.Ru, popular independent web-site that is critical of Central Asian governments. Kyrgyz internet users say that Fergana.Ru, which was accessible in Kyrgyzstan users until today, has been blocked by most of the internet providers in Kyrgyzstan.More ...
US citizen a key player in alleged Italian telecom fraud
09.03.2010.
An apparently well-connected Soviet-born U.S. citizen has emerged as a key player in a massive Italian telecom fraud, according to court documents and published reports.
Rome Judge Aldo Morgigni has issued an arrest warrant for Eugene Gourevitch, believed to have been born in the Soviet Republic of Kyrgyzstan and who has reportedly held a U.S. passport since 1990, for alleged involvement in a fraud that is said to have siphoned an astonishing US$2.7 billion from the wholesale telephony divisions of Telecom Italia SpA and Fastweb SpA between 2003 and 2006.More ...
Rome Judge Aldo Morgigni has issued an arrest warrant for Eugene Gourevitch, believed to have been born in the Soviet Republic of Kyrgyzstan and who has reportedly held a U.S. passport since 1990, for alleged involvement in a fraud that is said to have siphoned an astonishing US$2.7 billion from the wholesale telephony divisions of Telecom Italia SpA and Fastweb SpA between 2003 and 2006.More ...
Moscow withholding promised aid to Bishkek
17.02.2010.
In February of 2009, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev traveled to Moscow and secured roughly $2.15 billion in economic assistance, apparently in a quid-pro-quo deal in which Kyrgyzstan took action to evict US and NATO forces from an air base outside Bishkek. Twelve months later, American troops are still in Kyrgyzstan, and Moscow is balking at disbursing the bulk of its pledged aid.More ...
The murder of Gennadyi Pavlyuk reminds the action of Kyrgyz secret services
14.01.2010.
The arrival of Kyrgyz journalist Gennadiy Pavlyuk in Almaty reminds planned action of secret services, Kazakhstani Vremya newspaper reports.
The edition notes that murderous assault against Pavlyuk, committed in southern capital of Kazakhstan on December 16, 2009, is detected and «the names of criminals are identified». According to the newspaper, the traces lead to «some highly ranked Kyrgyz secret service official, unofficially positioned as manager of Bakiev’s clan on security issues».More ...
The edition notes that murderous assault against Pavlyuk, committed in southern capital of Kazakhstan on December 16, 2009, is detected and «the names of criminals are identified». According to the newspaper, the traces lead to «some highly ranked Kyrgyz secret service official, unofficially positioned as manager of Bakiev’s clan on security issues».More ...
Women and Radicalisation in Kyrgyzstan
03.09.2009.
Kyrgyzstan’s in creasingly authoritarian government is adopting a counter-productive approach to the country’s growing radicalisation. Instead of tackling the root causes of a phenomenon that has seen increasing numbers, including many women, joining groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT), it is resorting to heavy-handed police methods that risk pushing yet more Kyrgyz towards radicalism. The authorities view HT, which describes itself as a revolutionary party that aims to restore by peace ful means the caliphate that once ruled the Mus lim world, as a major security threat. But for some men and ever more women, it offers a sense of identity and belonging, solutions to the day-to-day failings of the society they live in, and an alternative to what they widely view as the Western-style social model that prevails in Kyrgyzstan. Without a major effort to tackle endemic corruption and economic failure, radical ranks are likely to swell, while repression may push at least some HT members into violence. This report focuses pri marily on the increasingly important role that women are playing in the movement.More ...
Is Turkey trying to help U.S. stay at Manas?
28.05.2009.
Scant attention has been paid to Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s three-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, which began on May 26.
But some observers think Gul’s trip -- the first to Bishkek by a Turkish president in nine years -- is more than a bilateral visit and might be an important geopolitical gambit in which Gul is doing the West’s bidding. More ...
But some observers think Gul’s trip -- the first to Bishkek by a Turkish president in nine years -- is more than a bilateral visit and might be an important geopolitical gambit in which Gul is doing the West’s bidding. More ...
Shooting reported in Uzbek town
26.05.2009.
Police in Uzbekistan exchanged gunfire with a group of armed men in the eastern town of Khanabad and an explosion was heard, witnesses have said.
More ...Terrorist Threat on rise in Ferghana
08.05.2009.
The threat posed by Islamic militant groups in Central Asia, especially in the Kyrgyz and Tajik portions of the Ferghana Valley, appears to be growing, according to the US State Department’s recently released annual report on terrorism.More ...
Prominent human rights activist Maxim Kushelov is placed to psychiatric facility
05.03.2009.
On March 4, 2009 the prominent Kyrgyz human rights activist Maxim Kushelov was arrested together with the colleague Mihail Kosolapov by the police on the way to White House of Kyrgyzstan, where they were planning to organize another demonstration under “Street Democracy lessons”.More ...
No easy routes into Afghanistan
05.03.2009.
“WELCOME to Freedom’s Frontier,” reads a wooden sign at the pine-clad headquarters of America’s Manas airbase in Kyrgyzstan. With its picnic tables, mountain views and community-outreach programmes, this site provides a tranquil vantage-point for the war in Afghanistan, just 90 minutes’ flight away. But Kyrgyzstan said in February that it was closing Manas, which the American-led coalition uses to ferry thousands of troops into Afghanistan each year and as a base for refuelling planes for combat aircraft.More ...
Kyrgyzstan says U.S. base closure is final
05.03.2009.
Kyrgyzstan will not reverse its decision to shut a U.S. military air base that was used by Washington for the war in Afghanistan, a spokesman for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said on Thursday.
More ...
More ...
Kyrgyzstan open to air base talks with U.S.
05.03.2009.
Kyrgyzstan is ready for talks with the United States on the future of its Manas military air base, which is due to be shut down in six months, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.More ...
Human rights and military bases
05.03.2009.
In his Washington Post op ed last week, Kyrgyzstan’s long-time ambassador to the U.S. gave us a fascinating insight into the process of base negotiations. Once the U.S. had its base, he wrote, all concerns about human rights and democracy went out the window. The base became the alpha and omega of the U.S.-Kyrgyz relationship, a development he wisely termed detrimental to both sides. With U.S. expulsion from its prime supply base in Kyrgyzstan now looming on the horizon just as the Obama Administration prepares to implement its ramp-up in neighboring Afghanistan, the U.S. quest for a base to replace Manas (Ganci) Air Force Base is getting feverish. And how does this affect human rights policy?More ...
Kyrgyzstan to face the power cuts as Kazakhstan quits the electricity grid
27.02.2009.
Kyrgyzstan said it is forced to limit electricity use in its northern regions, including the capital city of Bishkek, during peak hours, from 18.00 to 22.00, 24.kg news agency reports.More ...
Despite Kyrgyz vote to close U.S. Base, Gates explores options to keep it open
20.02.2009.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Thursday that the United States might consider increasing payments to Kyrgyzstan for access to a crucial air base, just hours after the Kyrgyz Parliament voted to terminate the lease and require the Americans to vacate the base within six months.
“We have not resigned ourselves to this being the last word,” Mr. Gates said at a meeting here of NATO defense ministers to discuss the need for more combat forces and reconstruction teams in Afghanistan.
The base, in Manas, plays a central role for NATO’s Afghan mission. It provides transit facilities for thousands of personnel and 500 tons of cargo each month, and it is used by the tanker aircraft that refuel fighter planes on missions over Afghanistan. The Obama administration has called the war there a high priority, announcing this week that an additional 17,000 American troops would be sent in the coming months. The loss of the base is seen as a serious challenge.
Mr. Gates said the United States remained prepared to discuss with Kyrgyzstan whether larger fees were warranted for use of the base, but he cautioned, “We are not going to be ridiculous about it.”
“Manas is important,” he said, “but it is not irreplaceable.”
He said that American negotiators already were deep into discussions with “a number of different countries,” including Russia, about alternatives to the logistics hub in Kyrgyzstan.
It remained unclear how quickly the United States would have to find an alternative. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan was expected to send Washington an official notice, but American officials said they still did not know when it would be received or when the six-month countdown would start. Mr. Bakiyev signed the legislation on Friday.
The bill in Parliament was approved by 78 of the 81 lawmakers present, with two voting against it and one abstaining.
The Kyrgyz government in Bishkek had longstanding complaints about the base and had asked for more cash compensation. Tensions were exacerbated in 2006 when an American serviceman fatally shot a Kyrgyz truck driver.
Mr. Bakiyev announced the move to close the base at a news conference with President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia, who this month promised to shore up Kyrgyzstan’s struggling economy with about $2.15 billion in loans and grants. Moscow has long complained about the continued American military presence in Central Asia, and many in Washington concluded that Russia had encouraged the move in an attempt to assert its dominance in the region.
Although Russian and Kyrgyz officials say there was no connection between the Kremlin’s financial aid and efforts to kick out the Americans, senior American officials have complained that the Russians are trying to have it both ways — with the Kremlin expressing a desire to support the international military mission in Afghanistan while pressing the Kyrgyz government to end American access to its air base.
In public comments as part of the vote, Kyrgyz lawmakers portrayed the action as the culmination of years of complaints and said the American presence in Central Asia had outlasted its usefulness.
“It is impossible to make people of Afghanistan live by standards which are brought in from abroad,” said Kabai Karabhekov, a member of Parliament. “One has to give an opportunity to Afghan people to build their country themselves.”
The shadow of Russian actions in Central Asia and Central Europe fell over the session of NATO ministers here, as Mr. Gates also was pressed on whether the Obama administration intended to move forward with a plan for missile defenses in Europe that had been a priority of the Bush administration’s foreign policy and that had brought threats of military retaliation from Russia.
Mr. Gates, in his first overseas trip since he began serving the new president, said the missile defense bases planned in Poland and the Czech Republic would proceed if the technology proved it could work and was affordable.
Neither of those two caveats were part of the Bush administration’s language when discussing requirements for the bases.
But Mr. Gates also made it clear that the Obama administration had not yet met on the issue of missile defense policy, and that no decisions had been made on how to proceed.
“The administration has not yet reviewed where it is on a whole range of issues,” Mr. Gates said, including the missile defense program and how to manage that within the relationship with Russia.
Mr. Gates said the radar proposed for the Czech Republic and the 10 interceptor missiles for Poland were to counter a potential threat from Iran, and he reiterated that the United States would work with NATO and wanted Russia as a partner in the effort.
To reassure his hosts here, Mr. Gates said that a series of new bilateral military cooperation efforts with Poland were proceeding even as the prospects for the missile defense site on Polish territory remained uncertain.
Also Thursday, NATO officials confirmed that Germany had pledged 600 more soldiers to the mission in Afghanistan.
“We welcome the commitment of additional German forces for the upcoming Afghan national elections,” said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary. “For those contests to be credible, voter turnout must be robust and representative, and improving the security situation is the key to making that happen.”
Italy announced this week that it would add 500 troops to the alliance mission in Afghanistan by April.
Source: New York Times
“We have not resigned ourselves to this being the last word,” Mr. Gates said at a meeting here of NATO defense ministers to discuss the need for more combat forces and reconstruction teams in Afghanistan.
The base, in Manas, plays a central role for NATO’s Afghan mission. It provides transit facilities for thousands of personnel and 500 tons of cargo each month, and it is used by the tanker aircraft that refuel fighter planes on missions over Afghanistan. The Obama administration has called the war there a high priority, announcing this week that an additional 17,000 American troops would be sent in the coming months. The loss of the base is seen as a serious challenge.
Mr. Gates said the United States remained prepared to discuss with Kyrgyzstan whether larger fees were warranted for use of the base, but he cautioned, “We are not going to be ridiculous about it.”
“Manas is important,” he said, “but it is not irreplaceable.”
He said that American negotiators already were deep into discussions with “a number of different countries,” including Russia, about alternatives to the logistics hub in Kyrgyzstan.
It remained unclear how quickly the United States would have to find an alternative. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan was expected to send Washington an official notice, but American officials said they still did not know when it would be received or when the six-month countdown would start. Mr. Bakiyev signed the legislation on Friday.
The bill in Parliament was approved by 78 of the 81 lawmakers present, with two voting against it and one abstaining.
The Kyrgyz government in Bishkek had longstanding complaints about the base and had asked for more cash compensation. Tensions were exacerbated in 2006 when an American serviceman fatally shot a Kyrgyz truck driver.
Mr. Bakiyev announced the move to close the base at a news conference with President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia, who this month promised to shore up Kyrgyzstan’s struggling economy with about $2.15 billion in loans and grants. Moscow has long complained about the continued American military presence in Central Asia, and many in Washington concluded that Russia had encouraged the move in an attempt to assert its dominance in the region.
Although Russian and Kyrgyz officials say there was no connection between the Kremlin’s financial aid and efforts to kick out the Americans, senior American officials have complained that the Russians are trying to have it both ways — with the Kremlin expressing a desire to support the international military mission in Afghanistan while pressing the Kyrgyz government to end American access to its air base.
In public comments as part of the vote, Kyrgyz lawmakers portrayed the action as the culmination of years of complaints and said the American presence in Central Asia had outlasted its usefulness.
“It is impossible to make people of Afghanistan live by standards which are brought in from abroad,” said Kabai Karabhekov, a member of Parliament. “One has to give an opportunity to Afghan people to build their country themselves.”
The shadow of Russian actions in Central Asia and Central Europe fell over the session of NATO ministers here, as Mr. Gates also was pressed on whether the Obama administration intended to move forward with a plan for missile defenses in Europe that had been a priority of the Bush administration’s foreign policy and that had brought threats of military retaliation from Russia.
Mr. Gates, in his first overseas trip since he began serving the new president, said the missile defense bases planned in Poland and the Czech Republic would proceed if the technology proved it could work and was affordable.
Neither of those two caveats were part of the Bush administration’s language when discussing requirements for the bases.
But Mr. Gates also made it clear that the Obama administration had not yet met on the issue of missile defense policy, and that no decisions had been made on how to proceed.
“The administration has not yet reviewed where it is on a whole range of issues,” Mr. Gates said, including the missile defense program and how to manage that within the relationship with Russia.
Mr. Gates said the radar proposed for the Czech Republic and the 10 interceptor missiles for Poland were to counter a potential threat from Iran, and he reiterated that the United States would work with NATO and wanted Russia as a partner in the effort.
To reassure his hosts here, Mr. Gates said that a series of new bilateral military cooperation efforts with Poland were proceeding even as the prospects for the missile defense site on Polish territory remained uncertain.
Also Thursday, NATO officials confirmed that Germany had pledged 600 more soldiers to the mission in Afghanistan.
“We welcome the commitment of additional German forces for the upcoming Afghan national elections,” said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary. “For those contests to be credible, voter turnout must be robust and representative, and improving the security situation is the key to making that happen.”
Italy announced this week that it would add 500 troops to the alliance mission in Afghanistan by April.
Source: New York Times
US moves suggest Afghan NATO supply-route talks with Kyrgyzstan
20.02.2009.
Kyrgyzstan's eviction of U.S. forces from an air base in the country was already seen as a setback for NATO's efforts to expand its presence in Afghanistan.
That's because the air base at Manas, whose lease to the U.S. forces came closer to ending with Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev signing off on a parliamentary bill calling for their eviction, has long served as a key staging post for the alliance's military operations in Afghanistan.
Bakiev's signature is the final step before Kyrgyz authorities issue a notice that will give the United States 180 days to vacate the facility, used as a transit point for 15,000 troops and some 500 tons of cargo each month to and from Afghanistan.
Now, defense ministers from NATO countries meeting for a second day in Krakow, Poland, will have to address another setback: The government in Pakistan's Punjab Province has cancelled a private deal on a new supply terminal for overland NATO deliveries into Afghanistan from the port city of Karachi. They say the deal was cancelled because of security concerns.
The main land route into landlocked Afghanistan passes through Pakistan's lawless Khyber tribal region and another land crossing through the southwest province of Baluchistan. Regional insurgency is rife in those areas and pro-Taliban militants have been focusing attacks on bridges, terminals, and even convoys of NATO supply trucks.
Alternative Routes
With the pressure growing on NATO's logistical support, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates confirmed at the NATO gathering in Krakow that Washington is now in talks with several other countries about alternative supply routes that would replace Manas.
Still, Gates suggested that talks on the future of the base are still open and that there could be negotiations with Bishkek about the amount of money paid for maintaining a U.S. presence at Manas.
He told reporters in Krakow on February 19 that the Pentagon is looking to see if there is justification for Bishkek to receive a larger payment. But he said Washington was "not going to be ridiculous about it."
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are possible alternatives. U.S. Rear Admiral Mark Harnitchek has been in Dushanbe for talks with Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi on the issue.
Harnitchek said in Dushanbe on February 19 that Tajikistan has agreed in principle to the use of its railways and roads for the transit of "nonlethal" military supplies into Afghanistan:
"Clearly any nation that shares a border with Afghanistan is important, and because the distance to our bases in Afghanistan is likely the shortest from Tajikistan, so by extension, Tajikistan is very important," Harnitchek said.
Harnitchek also said Uzbekistan has agreed to the transit of cargo and that the Pentagon plans to send 50 to 200 cargo containers each week from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan and then by land into Afghanistan.
But U.S. officials are emphasizing that no formal agreement has been signed yet.
Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry has declined to comment on whether it had approved the transit of NATO supplies across its territory. General David Petraeus, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command, visited Uzbekistan on February 17 in what appears to have been an attempt to seek the use of the country as a transit route for supplies in Afghanistan.
Moscow Give And Take
Kyrgyz President Bakiev announced the pending closure of Manas earlier this month, complaining the United States was not paying enough rent for the base. His announcement came shortly after he secured $2.15 billion in aid and loans from Russia during a visit to Moscow.
That has led some observers to conclude that the Kremlin has had a hand in instigating the closure of Manas. But Russia also has offered the use of its railroad network for the overland transport of nonlethal military supplies into Afghanistan.
Patrick Moon, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, said in Helsinki this week that the route would carry cargo from Latvia through Russia and Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan -- and eventually on to Afghanistan. He said the first trains could carry that cargo before the end of February.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of NATO defense ministers' meeting in Krakow, Gates warned that Moscow is trying to "have it both ways" by offering help in Afghanistan and undermining U.S. efforts there at the same time.
Gates also has sought to downplay the significance of Manas, saying that it is import but not irreplaceable.
Analysts see those remarks, and moves by the Pentagon to seek alternative supply routes, as a sign that price negotiations are still under way between Washington and Bishkek on the use of Manas.
Source: RFE/RL
That's because the air base at Manas, whose lease to the U.S. forces came closer to ending with Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev signing off on a parliamentary bill calling for their eviction, has long served as a key staging post for the alliance's military operations in Afghanistan.
Bakiev's signature is the final step before Kyrgyz authorities issue a notice that will give the United States 180 days to vacate the facility, used as a transit point for 15,000 troops and some 500 tons of cargo each month to and from Afghanistan.
Now, defense ministers from NATO countries meeting for a second day in Krakow, Poland, will have to address another setback: The government in Pakistan's Punjab Province has cancelled a private deal on a new supply terminal for overland NATO deliveries into Afghanistan from the port city of Karachi. They say the deal was cancelled because of security concerns.
The main land route into landlocked Afghanistan passes through Pakistan's lawless Khyber tribal region and another land crossing through the southwest province of Baluchistan. Regional insurgency is rife in those areas and pro-Taliban militants have been focusing attacks on bridges, terminals, and even convoys of NATO supply trucks.
Alternative Routes
With the pressure growing on NATO's logistical support, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates confirmed at the NATO gathering in Krakow that Washington is now in talks with several other countries about alternative supply routes that would replace Manas.
Still, Gates suggested that talks on the future of the base are still open and that there could be negotiations with Bishkek about the amount of money paid for maintaining a U.S. presence at Manas.
He told reporters in Krakow on February 19 that the Pentagon is looking to see if there is justification for Bishkek to receive a larger payment. But he said Washington was "not going to be ridiculous about it."
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are possible alternatives. U.S. Rear Admiral Mark Harnitchek has been in Dushanbe for talks with Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi on the issue.
Harnitchek said in Dushanbe on February 19 that Tajikistan has agreed in principle to the use of its railways and roads for the transit of "nonlethal" military supplies into Afghanistan:
"Clearly any nation that shares a border with Afghanistan is important, and because the distance to our bases in Afghanistan is likely the shortest from Tajikistan, so by extension, Tajikistan is very important," Harnitchek said.
Harnitchek also said Uzbekistan has agreed to the transit of cargo and that the Pentagon plans to send 50 to 200 cargo containers each week from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan and then by land into Afghanistan.
But U.S. officials are emphasizing that no formal agreement has been signed yet.
Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry has declined to comment on whether it had approved the transit of NATO supplies across its territory. General David Petraeus, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command, visited Uzbekistan on February 17 in what appears to have been an attempt to seek the use of the country as a transit route for supplies in Afghanistan.
Moscow Give And Take
Kyrgyz President Bakiev announced the pending closure of Manas earlier this month, complaining the United States was not paying enough rent for the base. His announcement came shortly after he secured $2.15 billion in aid and loans from Russia during a visit to Moscow.
That has led some observers to conclude that the Kremlin has had a hand in instigating the closure of Manas. But Russia also has offered the use of its railroad network for the overland transport of nonlethal military supplies into Afghanistan.
Patrick Moon, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, said in Helsinki this week that the route would carry cargo from Latvia through Russia and Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan -- and eventually on to Afghanistan. He said the first trains could carry that cargo before the end of February.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of NATO defense ministers' meeting in Krakow, Gates warned that Moscow is trying to "have it both ways" by offering help in Afghanistan and undermining U.S. efforts there at the same time.
Gates also has sought to downplay the significance of Manas, saying that it is import but not irreplaceable.
Analysts see those remarks, and moves by the Pentagon to seek alternative supply routes, as a sign that price negotiations are still under way between Washington and Bishkek on the use of Manas.
Source: RFE/RL
Last flight out of Kyrgyzstan
20.02.2009.
For two weeks, the U.S. struggle to hold on to its last air base in Central Asia has made headlines, and the vote in Kyrgyzstan's parliament yesterday to close Manas Air Base will spark still more coverage. Analysts have rushed to portray this as a new chess match between a resurgent Russian Federation and a recalibrating United States; just as a new American president seeks to bolster the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, the principal land corridor from Pakistan is severed through a bridge bombing and the likely air base closure threatens the Obama administration's plan. The oversimplified but oft-repeated explanation is that Kremlin pressure is the source of Washington's predicament.More ...
Moscow indicates it won't be ignored in the 'near abroad'
19.02.2009.
On a recent visit to Moscow, the president of Kyrgyzstan announced that he was canceling the U.S. right to use the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan, which has served as a transit point for U.S. and NATO shipments to Afghanistan since December 2001. S. Frederick Starr, a long-time expert on the Caucasus and Central Asia, says Russia is using a "carrot and stick" approach to attempt to force the United States out of the air base. He says this shows Moscow's determination to reclaim its traditional influence in the so-called near abroad and its determination "to establish a sphere of influence, and they mean an exclusive sphere of influence, in the former Soviet territories, including the Caucasus and Central Asia."More ...
Kyrgyzstan takes step towards U.S. air base closure
16.02.2009.
Kyrgyzstan moved a step closer to evicting U.S. troops on Monday after the government sent to parliament the final package of documents required to close down an air base used to support U.S. forces in nearby Afghanistan.More ...
The issue of “Manas” is going to be considered by another parliament committee on February 17
13.02.2009.
It is expected that the governmental decree on dissolving the contract for the use of “Manas” airbase by air forces of USA and their anti-terrorist coalition allies in Afghanistan will be considered by another Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) committee of Kyrgyzstan. This was declared by the press-service of the republican parliament.
It is worth saying that on February 9 the parliament committee for defense, security, law and judicial order reform already approved the withdrawal of airbase from the territory of the republic. Now, the session of the committee for constitutional law, state structure, legislation and human rights will consider this topic on February 17, 2009 at 2pm.
The Kyrgyz Republic draft Law “On denunciation of response note of Kyrgyz Republic foreign affairs ministry to the note # 542, issued by the Embassy of the United States of America, dated December 4, 2001, and together forming the Agreement between the government of Kyrgyz Republic and the government of the United States of America” was addressed to the parliament by the government of Kyrgyzstan on February 4th.
“Ferghana.ru” was reporting earlier that the decision of Kyrgyzstan’s officials to end the activity of anti-terrorist coalition military base was announced by the President of the country, Kurmanbek Bakiev, at the press-conference in Moscow on February 3, 2009.
It is worth to remind that US airbase was launched in Kyrgyzstan on December 2001, based on UN mandate, supporting “Enduring freedom” anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, conducted by of coalition forces. Today, there are more than one thousand US soldiers as well as military transport aircrafts and fuel servicing planes, located at the airbase.
Source: Ferghana.ru
It is worth saying that on February 9 the parliament committee for defense, security, law and judicial order reform already approved the withdrawal of airbase from the territory of the republic. Now, the session of the committee for constitutional law, state structure, legislation and human rights will consider this topic on February 17, 2009 at 2pm.
The Kyrgyz Republic draft Law “On denunciation of response note of Kyrgyz Republic foreign affairs ministry to the note # 542, issued by the Embassy of the United States of America, dated December 4, 2001, and together forming the Agreement between the government of Kyrgyz Republic and the government of the United States of America” was addressed to the parliament by the government of Kyrgyzstan on February 4th.
“Ferghana.ru” was reporting earlier that the decision of Kyrgyzstan’s officials to end the activity of anti-terrorist coalition military base was announced by the President of the country, Kurmanbek Bakiev, at the press-conference in Moscow on February 3, 2009.
It is worth to remind that US airbase was launched in Kyrgyzstan on December 2001, based on UN mandate, supporting “Enduring freedom” anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, conducted by of coalition forces. Today, there are more than one thousand US soldiers as well as military transport aircrafts and fuel servicing planes, located at the airbase.
Source: Ferghana.ru
Robert Gates: “Manas” airbase, possibly, will not be closed
12.02.2009.
American “Manas” airbase in Kyrgyzstan is an important spot on the way to Afghanistan, but it is possible find alternative for it. This was announced by US Defense Secretary, Robert Gates on February 10, the Lenta.Ru reports with the reference to Agence France-Presse. “Manas” base is not irreplaceable, Mr. Gates said and added that American military officials already started looking at alternatives. Moreover, USA “do not foreclose the possibility” that the base would remain open.More ...
US options after Kyrgyz base closure
11.02.2009.
US officials are looking for alternative ways of transporting soldiers and goods to Afghanistan after a decision by the Kyrgyz government to close a US base on its soil.More ...
Freedom House: Human Rights Erosion in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan continued in 2008
14.01.2009.
According to US-based Freedom House recent Freedom In The World 2009 (FITW) annual report, based on analysis of the events from January 1 to December 31 of 2009, none of Central Asia states had positively changed the situation with human right.
More ...