U.K. Telegraph - 01.10.2002

 

The Electronic Telegraph

Russia Wary of America's Stance on Military Bases

By Ben Fenton

PENTAGON officials indicated yesterday that America's military presence in Central Asia could last for years, prompting unease in Moscow.

America's commitment not to abandon the area after defeating the Taliban in Afghanistan has been interpreted in a very negative light by conservatives in the Russian military and political hierarchy.

Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defence in Washington, told the New York Times that the staffing of air bases in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan was likely to be expanded into increased programmes of co-operation and training with local military commands.

"Their functions may be more political than actually military," Mr Wolfowitz said.

The bases and exercises conducted from them in the future would "send a message to everybody, including important countries like Uzbekistan, that we have a capacity to come back in and will come back in. We're not just going to forget about them".

But Gennady Seleznyov, speaker of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, said during a visit to the Kazakh capital, Astana, yesterday: "It is not desirable that permanent US bases be established in central Asia."

Russia says 2,000 American troops are deployed at Khanabad air base near the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, while US air force staff are operating at Kulyab in Tajikistan.

About 200 American, British and French engineers are building an air base near Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan.