Kyrgyzstan: US Allies Get the Boot from Manas

The Kyrgyz parliament voted on March 6 to revoke the leases for all countries that use the Manas air base. Prior to the vote, the United States had been the only user of the base to have received an eviction notice.

Pending a presidential signature, the remaining 11 nations that use Manas would have 180 days to wind up operations at the base. Manas air base is a key logistics point for refueling fighter planes above Afghanistan and the supply of troops on the ground. In addition to US troops, Manas is utilized by soldiers from Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Spain and Turkey.

The ultimate fate of the base remains uncertain. Kyrgyz officials have sent conflicting messages, with some hinting that the base-closure initiative could be reversed, if the right financial incentives were offered. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].