HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
http://81.29.68.227/eng/disp_news.cfm?chd=301&topofday=1 Lithuania, Uzbekistan lay groundwork for military cooperation UzReport.com, BBC Monitoring Posted 26.09.2002 01:19 -...Lithuania could offer Uzbekistan its experience in military restructuring in line with NATO requirements to member states.... -...Uzbekistan is interested in the experience of cooperating with NATO and participation in international peacekeeping missions. Lithuania and Uzbekistan will share experience of participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace programme and in forming international military units, will communicate in the fields of military training, the development of legal basis in military area and other areas, BNS news agency reported on 24 September. These actions are stipulated in a bilateral military cooperation agreement signed by Lithuanian and Uzbek defence ministers, Linas Linkevicius and Qodir Ghulomov, in Vilnius on Tuesday 24 September, the Lithuanian National Defence Ministry has said. The document also stipulates holding expert meetings and information exchange. During the meeting on Tuesday, Linkevicius and Ghulomov also addressed the situation in Afghanistan, threats of international terrorism and participation in the NATO-led antiterrorist campaign... Linkevicius noted during the conversation that Lithuania could offer Uzbekistan its experience in military restructuring in line with NATO requirements to member states, the development of a legal basis regulating armed forces' status and the training of military personnel. In Ghulomov's words, Uzbekistan is interested in the experience of cooperating with NATO and participation in international peacekeeping missions. Ghulomov is in Vilnius with an official Uzbek delegation headed by President Islam Karimov. ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/ah/Qus-attacks-kyrgyzstan.RMaV_CSO.html Western warplanes in Kyrgyzstan to be rotated BISHKEK, Sept 24 (AFP) - US and French fighter jets deployed at Kyrgyzstan's Manas airport to support operations in Afghanistan are to be replaced by warplanes from other allied states in September or October, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. The French Mirage 2000 jets and US FA-18 fighters are to be replaced by warplanes from Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, said Sheryl Law, a spokeswoman at Manas base outside the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek. On September 12, the French general staff announced in Paris that the French Mirage 2000 jets would be withdrawn on October 1. According to the Interfax news agency there are approximately two dozen aircraft at the base and around two thirds of these are jets. Six French Mirage 2000 jets arrived at the Kyrgyz airfield in February while US FA-18 fighters have been stationed at the base since April to support US-led attacks on al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. Earlier this year, Norwegian defense officials said that 18 Norwegian, Dutch and Danish warplanes would be deployed to the base towards the end of the year. Some 2,000 coalition troops are stationed at the base in northern Kyrgyzstan, including around 1,000 US troops and 400 French soldiers, as well as troops from Spain, South Korea and Australia. A former Soviet Central Asian state, Kyrgyzstan shares a border with China and is separated from Afghanistan by Tajikistan. ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-asia/2002/sep/26/092603000.html Today: September 26, 2002 at 0:05:19 PDT U.S. Pilot's Missions Show Contrast By BURT HERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS -Twelve F/A-18s from Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121 operate out of Manas airport near the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, carrying payloads of dumb bombs, laser-guided bombs or Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs.... -Parkyn's assignment in Kyrgyzstan has been dramatically different from his service in the Gulf War. Back then, when he flew an A-6 Intruder bomber against Iraq, Parkyn said he dropped more than 200,000 pounds of bombs on Iraqi forces. MANAS, Kyrgyzstan- As he roamed the night skies in his F/A-18 Hornet, pilot Lt. Col. Michael Parkyn's radio squawked for help: Coalition troops wanted a bombing run on an Afghan hilltop where hostile forces were feared to be lurking. The call, on the night before the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, was one the few times that Parkyn, of Marietta, Calif., has dropped bombs since he started flying out of this Central Asian base in April. Parkyn's mission here has been drastically different from when he flew over Iraq 11 years ago during the Gulf War, unleashing thousands of pounds of bombs on Saddam Hussein's forces. Over Afghanistan, his fighter-bomber cruises the skies for long hours, ready to provide cover for U.S., Afghan and other allied troops on the ground if they need it. "It's been quite an endurance contest," Parkyn said. His experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq show how different the air campaign would be from the anti-terrorism campaign so far if the United States moves once more against Saddam's troops with the full might of the U.S. military. Twelve F/A-18s from Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121 operate out of Manas airport near the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, carrying payloads of dumb bombs, laser-guided bombs or Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs - a kit that converts dumb bombs into smart ones with the help of the global positioning system. Though Kyrgyzstan is relatively near Afghanistan, Parkyn said his jets still have a 1 1/2-hour flight, about 500 miles, to get to the northern Afghan border. To get to southern and eastern Afghanistan, where most of the action takes place, it's about 800 miles - or about two hours flight time, with refueling. Because of the time it takes, the warplanes usually stay in the area for at least a couple hours to make it worth their while before heading back to base. Sometimes, if pilots volunteer to stay and are needed, missions can stretch up to 9 1/2 hours - strapped in full flight gear sitting in the cramped cockpit of his jet with his fellow crewman behind him. To eat during their marathon flights, pilots carry energy bars and small bottles of water, Parkyn said. Carbonated drinks are a definite no-no because opening them at altitude would mean they'd spray all over the cockpit. When nature calls, the pilots use a sponge-like device with a tube inside their flight suits. The jets refuel every hour to make sure they have enough fuel to come home in case of emergency, and they can also land at their alternate strip at Bagram air base north of the Afghan capital Kabul. "Just the distance we fly to Afghanistan increases the danger if there's a mechanical problem with the jet," he said. Parkyn will have flown 42 missions in Afghanistan by the time his squadron heads home to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California by the end of the month. During some 200 hours in the air, he said, he's dropped only a "handful of bombs." "It's been low intensity, that's the nature of it," he said. Parkyn's assignment in Kyrgyzstan has been dramatically different from his service in the Gulf War. Back then, when he flew an A-6 Intruder bomber against Iraq, Parkyn said he dropped more than 200,000 pounds of bombs on Iraqi forces. Missions over Iraq usually lasted about 2 1/2 hours, Parkyn said. Each time he took off, he had a set of pre-planned targets to bomb. "There were a lot of targets out there," he said. In Afghanistan, "small bands of special forces are harder to target. When we go out there, the probability of an attack is lower." The danger was also greater. In Afghanistan, coalition planes ruled the skies in the absence of any real Taliban air force. When based in Bahrain during the Gulf War, Parkyn said an Iraqi Scud missile hit their base. Parkyn expressed confidence his fellow pilots were up to the task if they're called to duty against Iraq, but said for now he was looking forward to getting back home to his family. "I try not to think about it too much - you can worry about too much with all the contingencies on the horizon," he said. "I'm glad I'm not the commander in chief - I'd have a heavy burden today. ------------------------------------------------------- __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
