EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - US Appears Set to Expand Cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in 2003

EURASIA INSIGHT

US APPEARS SET TO EXPAND COOPERATION WITH KYRGYZSTAN IN 2003
Wojciech Bartuzi 12/05/02

As Russian forces move to establish an air base in Kyrgyzstan, US-Kyrgyz cooperation continues to expand, as Washington views the Central Asian nation as a hub for its regional anti-terrorism operations. Overall US aid to Kyrgyzstan may reach $92 million in 2002, and the appearance of Russian military forces in the country may place pressure on the United States to expand cooperation with Bishkek.

A large portion of American assistance consists of military aid, and the nexus of US-Kyrgyz cooperation is an anti-terrorism coalition air base at Manas, a Bishkek suburb. The Kygyz government in early December 2001 granted the United States basing rights. In the year since the decision, the base has grown to house about 2,000 military personnel, mainly from the United States. Manas airport’s 13,800-foot-long runways are well suited for anti-terrorism coalition fighters, bombers and heavy transports. The US facility � named after Fire Chief Peter Ganci, who was killed in the September 11 collapse of the World Trade Center in New York � is used mainly for operations against targets in Afghanistan.

In September, in connection with a visit by Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev to Washington, American Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan John O’Keefe said that US aid to the Central Asian nation could double in 2003. That announcement came before Russia’s move to reassert its influence in Kyrgyzstan by setting up an air base of its own at Kant, also near Bishkek. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archives].

The Bush administration’s reaction to the Russian base announcement has been muted so far. Experts in Washington suggest that US officials are currently preoccupied with planning possible military action against Iraq. Martha Brill Olcott, a senior associate at the Carnegie Foundation, suggested that the United States might eventually respond to developments by "throwing more money" at Bishkek.

In recent weeks, the United States has stepped up security cooperation with Kyrgyzstan. State television announced November 12 that the United States had provided the country’s border control service with 15 jeeps, and that it would deliver two helicopters in the near future. In addition, US military officials say they have planned an increased number of joint training exercises, the Kabar news agency reported November 18.

Though the Kyrgyz government has welcomed the US military presence, the reaction among the civilian population has been mixed. A September poll conducted by the Bishkek-based Informational Support Fund found that only 18 percent of those questioned supported the government’s decision to host a US base, while 34 percent opposed it. A plurality � 45 percent of respondents � said they had a neutral opinion about the base. Some experts say that public opinion is more strongly opposed to the presence of foreign bases on Kyrgyz territory in southern Kyrgyzstan.

In recognition of the flagging public support, anti-terrorism coalition forces are carrying out projects designed to promote goodwill among the local population. At the same time, the Kyrgyz government appears eager to promote the projects. A November 28 report in the pro-government Vecherny Bishkek daily said US troops are engaged in a number of charitable activities involving communities surrounding the base, refurbishing schools, digging wells and irrigation canals and donating clothing to local children in need.

The public’s wary attitude towards the base is connected in part with unrealized expectations, some experts say. When the first American troops arrived, many area residents hoped for an economic windfall. Base leasing rights, supply contracts and agreements for other services have provided the Kyrgyz government and select companies with tens of millions of dollars. Coalition personnel are buying local construction materials, using local transportation and drivers and paying for local translators and interpreters. However, over the past year most citizens have found themselves effectively excluded from sharing in the boom’s prosperity.

In addition, the coalition’s image was damaged by a March incident in which a US officer behind the wheel of a jeep injured two Kyrgyz pedestrians in a late-night accident. Many Kyrgyz were surprised to discover that the US-Kyrgyz base agreement contained a provision under which US military personnel accused of a crime could stand trial only in an American court.

The Kyrgyz government clearly benefits politically from the stronger security environment fostered by the coalition base. Much popular discontent, however, arises from the perception that the president, along with his family and associates, are also enjoying most of the base’s economic rewards. Opposition legislators have alleged that companies with close links to Akayev and the government have secured most of the lucrative base contracts.

In a July interview with the Financial Times, Akayev admitted that a company controlled by his son-in-law, Adil Toigonbayev, sold aviation fuel to coalition forces. The coalition had purchased upwards of $13 million of aviation fuel by the end of July, according to various reports. The president’s son, Aidar, has also reportedly been involved in several deals to provide services at the base. However, Akayev has strongly denied the allegation.

In the transport sphere, a few taxi companies have gained exclusive rights to provide rides to Western military personnel. It is almost impossible for other taxi drivers to catch lucrative fares from coalition troops between the air base and the city center.

Editor�s Note: Wojciech Bartuzi is a Central Asia analyst at the Centre for Eastern Studies, Warsaw, Poland.

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