_ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Fri, 05 Oct 2001 14:31:47 -0400 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [L-I] WWIII update - US troops in Uzbekistan AFP. 5 October 2001. US sends 1,000 troops to Uzbekistan after green-light to use airfield. TASHKENT -- The United States sent 1,000 elite troops to Uzbekistan on Friday after the former Soviet republic gave Washington the go-ahead to use one of its air bases in its anti-terrorist campaign against neighbouring Afghanistan. President Islam Karimov, however, repeated that he would not allow the use of Uzbek territory to launch air or ground attacks on Afghan's Taliban militia and emphasized that the US presence in his country was restricted to humanitarian missions [!]. "We are against the use of our territory in land operations against Afghanistan. We are against air strikes on Afghanistan," Karimov said following talks here with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Karimov did grant the United States use of an airfield and other facilities for aircraft, helicopters and personnel involved in search and rescue missions. "Uzbekistan gives its permission for the use of one of its airfields and facilities," said Karimov. Referring to the undisclosed location of the airfield, Karimov later told journalists it was "around 500 kilometres from Tashkent," adding: This place has been chosen so that it will be suitable for conducting humanitarian and search-and-rescue operations." His remarks suggested the airfield in question was probably Khanabad, near Karshi, in the south of Uzbekistan, experts said. US officials said the crack light infantry troops were being stationed to provide force protection in Uzbekistan for US military operations in reprisal for the September 11 terrorist strikes on Washington and New York. [N.B.] It marks the first major deployment of US ground forces in the showdown with Afghanistan, which now appears imminent. "The 10th mountain division is in the air," a US defense official told reporters traveling with Rumsfeld, who flew into Tashkent from Cairo. US ground forces have been the missing piece in the mobilization of US forces in the region. US warships and bombers are positioned within striking distance of Afghanistan and US special forces have been deployed to the region. But except for some 2,200 combat-ready US Marines aboard amphibious assault ships in waters off Pakistan, no large contingents of ground forces had moved until now. The 10th mountain division, which specializes in cold-weather fighting, could also be used as a rapid-reaction force to back up special forces' missions in Afghanistan. [N.B.] US troops have held military exercises in former Soviet republics before, but never for an operation of this kind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
