STEALTH MOVE: AMERICAN TROOPS TO RETURN TO UZBEKISTAN

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American troops may be returning to the Central Asian nation almost three years after being unceremoniously booted out amid the fallout over the 2005 Andijan events. Uzbekistan’s apparent readiness to make a sudden geopolitical turn could prompt consternation in the Kremlin, and have important implications for the Caspian Basin energy contest.

The announcement came in a roundabout manner, with Robert Simmons, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s special envoy for the Caucasus and Central Asia, telling Russian journalists during a Moscow news conference March 5 that troops from NATO countries would soon have access to a military airbase at Termez, on the Uzbek-Afghan border. Up until now, the base has been used exclusively by German soldiers.

"We welcome the fact Uzbekistan has shown readiness to allow other countries to use this airbase," the Interfax news agency quoted Simmons as saying. "As far as I understand, the United States is beginning to use this facility [at Termez]."

...

"I think the reason behind this [granting NATO troops expanded access to the Termez base] is the same as in 2001 -- Afghanistan," said a Tashkent-based analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Uzbekistan does not want an unstable Afghanistan. Everyone likes throwing Americans out of their bases and gloating about their failures, but they realize that if Americans leave Afghanistan, it will be a serious blow to all Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan in the first place."

http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insi...v030508aa.shtml

[Ban Hammer 13,355]

Everyone likes throwing Americans out of their bases and gloating about their failures,

germany liked doing that too, until they realized the loss of income from american military spending