Kyrgyz closure of US base and Afghan drugs
Kyrgyzstan says its decision to close a US base that serves as a vital supply route for US and Nato operations in Afghanistan is «final».
It contradicts US statements that talks are ongoing about the base’s future.
Manas, just outside the capital Bishkek, is the only US base in Central Asia and is a vital transit point for Nato and US operations in Afghanistan — an hour-and-a-half’s flight away.
The base is used to refuel Afghan-bound planes, and is the first point of stop for the majority of coalition troops on their way in and out of Afghanistan.
The closure announcement came after Russia promised Kyrgyzstan $2bn (£1.4bn) in aid. However, Kyrgyzstan says the moves are not linked.
For the US, the base closure comes at a critical moment, as the new administration of President Barack Obama plans a sharp increase in the number of American troops in Afghanistan. For Russia, on the other hand, its closure would be a significant diplomatic victory. BBC News
USA ready to lose more men in Afghanistan for the sake of opium drugs
Vladimir Anokhin, Pravda.ru
The US victory in Afghanistan is just a phantom, and Washington is perfectly aware of that. Nevertheless, the US administration caught a strong hold of this country for some reason. Many experts say that the USA does not intend to pull out from the war-torn country because of its drugs. Afghanistan produces 93 percent of all opium drugs. About 8,200 tons of opium drugs were exported from the country in 2007, which doubled the results of 2005. Several officials of the US administration supposedly maintain contacts with Afghan drug dealers. Afghanistan is a very big pork barrel: military losses are fully compensated with drug business revenues.
