Remember back when the Russians bribed the Kyrgyz government with a $2 billion aid package in order to kick the Americans out of the Manas airbase, severely hampering the U.S. government's ability to operate in Afghanistan? Well it looks like those clever guys in Bishkek are double dipping, and are now taking more than three times the rent to allow NATO to continue to use the airbase. (I wonder if the Russians got a money-back guarantee on this one.)
There also appears to be a presidential "election" next month that Kurmanbek Bakiyev is hoping that Washington will not criticize. It makes one wonder how they assign value to all these political and strategic favors - I would think that having everybody ignore a stolen election would be worth at least one free airbase. So at the end of the day, Bakiyev gets $2 billion from the Russians for nothing, three times the rent from the Americans while retaining the right to kick them out in another six months, and a criticism-free seizure of power. Oh yes, and the war continues, and Obama and Medvedev have one less sticking point for the July summit. You've got to love Central Asian politics.
Kadyrbek Sarbayev, the Kyrgyz foreign minister, said Washington had agreed to more than triple the rent for use of the Manas base, a transit hub for refuelling aircraft and military personnel bound for Afghanistan .
Kyrgyzstan gave the US 6-months to vacate Manas last February after accepting a promise of $2bn of financial assistance from Russia which objects to the presence of US troops in former Soviet central Asia.
Mr Sarbayev said a one-year agreement signed with the US would increase annual payments for use of Manas to $60m from $17m. The US would also provide $67m to improve the airport and contribute funds to combat drug trafficking and terrorism in Kyrgyzstan.
Here is an idea. How about considering the possibility that the US got kicked out of Manas for reasons that had nothing to do with Russia, but were problems in the bilateral relationship, now fixed.
Oh, I forgot, no grounds there for blaming Putin for our troubles.
Riiiight, so the billions thrown to Bishkek right at the same time as the decision have nothing to do with the decision to eject them from Manas.
That would be the ideal and rational situation. Especially considering that such a measure is deeply counterproductive to Russian national security (NATO is performing a service for Russia in this case).
In an ideal situation, Bishkek should also be worried about Russia criticizing its upcoming fake election. Somehow that is not a concern though...
I suspect that Bakiyev's plan all along was to extort a higher rent, and whatever else he could get.
"In an ideal situation, Bishkek should also be worried about Russia criticizing its upcoming fake election."
Exactly the sort of thing that got the US kicked out of the K2 airbase. Some folks never learn, I guess.
Considering the reaction from Russia (mentioned in a blog post published after this one), it would seem that, regardless of what Bishkek thought it was doing, Russia interpreted it just as James did -- as doing something against Russia and despite having received help from Russia. Or am I mistaken?