Kyrgyz Threat to US Base at Manas

It looks like the "Great Game" in Central Asia may be on again. Suddenly over the past couple of days the President and Parliament of Kyrgyzstan have begun moves aimed at eliminating the US Air Base at Manas near the capital of Bishkek. Manas is a key logistical support base for US operations in Afghanistan, and the threat of losing it could have a profound impact on US and NATO operations there.

For more on Manas consult the air base's own home page here, and/or the Wikipedia write-up here.

The move seems to be a reaction to Russian efforts to oust the US from Kyrgyzstan and may be an attempt to play the US against Russia; an account by a Central Asia-watching website here gives some of the political background.

This definitely bears watching. Loss of Manas, coupled with ongoing uncertaities in Pakistan and a drawdown in Iraq, could pose real challenges to US intentions to ramp up operations in Afghanistan. Military pros have always said "Amateurs talk about strategy; professionals talk about logistics," and Manas is a major player in the logistical tail for the Afghan operation.