"Look at the way they're building up troops in the
region, building up facilities," said John Pike, a
defence analyst at Globalsecurity.org in Washington.
"There's no indication they're getting ready to pack
up and go home."
region, building up facilities," said John Pike, a
defence analyst at Globalsecurity.org in Washington.
"There's no indication they're getting ready to pack
up and go home."
Duh??? This so-called "defence analyst is
surprised?? Once the U.S and NATO occupy a
country, they never go home. Their job is to impose
and *ENFORCE* New World Order imperialism!
mart
==================================================
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 05:55:54 -0800 (PST)
From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: U.S. Expands Influence In Central Asia
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020312/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_central_asia_1
U.S. Expands Influence in Central Asia
Tue Mar 12, 1:45 AM ET
By SALLY BUZBEE, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States probably
From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: U.S. Expands Influence In Central Asia
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020312/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_central_asia_1
U.S. Expands Influence in Central Asia
Tue Mar 12, 1:45 AM ET
By SALLY BUZBEE, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States probably
will keep its new military ties in central Asia, or expand
them,even after the war in Afghanistan ends. That would
create a new sphere of influence in a region where
American military might was unthinkable a decade ago.
As the leader of the region's most important country,
Uzbekistan, visits President Bush (news - web sites)
on Tuesday at the White House, it is less clear
whether American troops will remain based long-term in
the former Soviet republics. The alternative, training
exercises and military cooperation, is as likely.
"I think the (Bush) administration is really
struggling with that question right now," said Andrew
Hess, an expert on the region at Tufts University's
Fletcher School. "The United States' long-term
interests in central Asia simply remain unclear."
In the short term, most analysts expect the U.S.
military to expand its presence, despite Russia's
worry over the growing American influence, and U.S.
worries about human rights violations in many of the
countries.
The United States sought the military cooperation
first to help it fight the war in Afghanistan, and
then to ensure that al-Qaida fighters or other Islamic
militants couldn't gain a foothold in neighboring
countries.
For their part, the countries view the U.S. ties both
as a counterbalance against Russian influence, and
also as an opportunity to increase their security
against the Islamic militants who threaten them, and
improve their struggling economies.
"All of these countries are in worse shape now than
before the fall of the Soviet Union," Hess said. "They
see cooperation with the U.S. as a possible solution."
Uzbek President Islam Karimov is expected to talk
about human rights and seek closer economic ties in
his talks with Secretary of State Colin Powell (news -
web sites) and with Bush on Tuesday at the White
House.
Bush also meets Tuesday with Russian Defense Minister
Sergei Ivanov, who plans to see Powell and Defense
Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld as well.
The United States reached out to Uzbekistan
immediately after Sept. 11, because of the need to
have bases near Afghanistan, at a time when Pakistan's
support for the war against terrorism was still
unclear.
The U.S. military says about 1,000 American soldiers
have been at a base in southern Uzbekistan since
October. But those who've been to the base say the
number appears much larger, and the base appears key
to all covert and acknowledged operations inside
Afghanistan.
In addition, the United States has troops at an
airport in Kyrgyzstan, and recently held nine days of
simulated anti-terrorism exercises with that country.
Other allied forces are expected to move to bases in
Tajikistan.
War commander Gen. Tommy Franks, head of U.S. Central
Command, says he has 60,000 troops overall in the
region.
Just slightly farther away, but also a concern to
Russia, the United States is ready to send 100 to 200
U.S. troops to train forces in Georgia fighting
against possible al-Qaida-linked insurgents there.
Despite the new ties, the United States has continued
to complain about the countries' human rights abuses.
The State Department says Uzbek security forces
torture, beat and harass people, and arbitrarily
arrest Muslims suspected of extremist sympathies.
Yet U.S. officials also recently announced a tripling
of foreign aid to Uzbekistan, to $160 million. A week
ago, the Uzbek government allowed the first-ever
official registration of an independent human rights
organization.
Russian officials, for their part, have grown
increasingly nervous about the U.S. military presence
in formerly Soviet central Asia, which Russia
considers it sphere of influence.
President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) and most
other high-ranking Russian officials have said
American troops are necessary to fight Islamic
extremism and terrorism in the region, which also
threatens Russia.
But Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov made clear
in early February that Russia assumes "these bases are
there on a temporary basis, and only until the end of
the anti-terrorist operation."
"Russia is extremely frightened of us remaining
there," said Charles Fairbanks, a central Asia
specialist at Johns Hopkins University.
U.S. military officials say they have no intention of
keeping American troops permanently in central Asia.
The United States doesn't want its own bases in the
region, but does want access to local bases, Franks
says.
"The question, of course, is how guaranteed is our
access if there are no (American) bases," Fairbanks
said.
For now, the continued instability in Afghanistan
makes it likely that U.S. troops will be in the region
for some time to come, on the lookout for al-Qaida
fighters inside Afghanistan and out.
"Look at the way they're building up troops in the
region, building up facilities," said John Pike, a
defense analyst at Globalsecurity.org in Washington.
"There's no indication they're getting ready to pack
up and go home."
create a new sphere of influence in a region where
American military might was unthinkable a decade ago.
As the leader of the region's most important country,
Uzbekistan, visits President Bush (news - web sites)
on Tuesday at the White House, it is less clear
whether American troops will remain based long-term in
the former Soviet republics. The alternative, training
exercises and military cooperation, is as likely.
"I think the (Bush) administration is really
struggling with that question right now," said Andrew
Hess, an expert on the region at Tufts University's
Fletcher School. "The United States' long-term
interests in central Asia simply remain unclear."
In the short term, most analysts expect the U.S.
military to expand its presence, despite Russia's
worry over the growing American influence, and U.S.
worries about human rights violations in many of the
countries.
The United States sought the military cooperation
first to help it fight the war in Afghanistan, and
then to ensure that al-Qaida fighters or other Islamic
militants couldn't gain a foothold in neighboring
countries.
For their part, the countries view the U.S. ties both
as a counterbalance against Russian influence, and
also as an opportunity to increase their security
against the Islamic militants who threaten them, and
improve their struggling economies.
"All of these countries are in worse shape now than
before the fall of the Soviet Union," Hess said. "They
see cooperation with the U.S. as a possible solution."
Uzbek President Islam Karimov is expected to talk
about human rights and seek closer economic ties in
his talks with Secretary of State Colin Powell (news -
web sites) and with Bush on Tuesday at the White
House.
Bush also meets Tuesday with Russian Defense Minister
Sergei Ivanov, who plans to see Powell and Defense
Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld as well.
The United States reached out to Uzbekistan
immediately after Sept. 11, because of the need to
have bases near Afghanistan, at a time when Pakistan's
support for the war against terrorism was still
unclear.
The U.S. military says about 1,000 American soldiers
have been at a base in southern Uzbekistan since
October. But those who've been to the base say the
number appears much larger, and the base appears key
to all covert and acknowledged operations inside
Afghanistan.
In addition, the United States has troops at an
airport in Kyrgyzstan, and recently held nine days of
simulated anti-terrorism exercises with that country.
Other allied forces are expected to move to bases in
Tajikistan.
War commander Gen. Tommy Franks, head of U.S. Central
Command, says he has 60,000 troops overall in the
region.
Just slightly farther away, but also a concern to
Russia, the United States is ready to send 100 to 200
U.S. troops to train forces in Georgia fighting
against possible al-Qaida-linked insurgents there.
Despite the new ties, the United States has continued
to complain about the countries' human rights abuses.
The State Department says Uzbek security forces
torture, beat and harass people, and arbitrarily
arrest Muslims suspected of extremist sympathies.
Yet U.S. officials also recently announced a tripling
of foreign aid to Uzbekistan, to $160 million. A week
ago, the Uzbek government allowed the first-ever
official registration of an independent human rights
organization.
Russian officials, for their part, have grown
increasingly nervous about the U.S. military presence
in formerly Soviet central Asia, which Russia
considers it sphere of influence.
President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) and most
other high-ranking Russian officials have said
American troops are necessary to fight Islamic
extremism and terrorism in the region, which also
threatens Russia.
But Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov made clear
in early February that Russia assumes "these bases are
there on a temporary basis, and only until the end of
the anti-terrorist operation."
"Russia is extremely frightened of us remaining
there," said Charles Fairbanks, a central Asia
specialist at Johns Hopkins University.
U.S. military officials say they have no intention of
keeping American troops permanently in central Asia.
The United States doesn't want its own bases in the
region, but does want access to local bases, Franks
says.
"The question, of course, is how guaranteed is our
access if there are no (American) bases," Fairbanks
said.
For now, the continued instability in Afghanistan
makes it likely that U.S. troops will be in the region
for some time to come, on the lookout for al-Qaida
fighters inside Afghanistan and out.
"Look at the way they're building up troops in the
region, building up facilities," said John Pike, a
defense analyst at Globalsecurity.org in Washington.
"There's no indication they're getting ready to pack
up and go home."
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