He said that the base will be built in the city of Osh in southern Kyrgyzstan and will mainly be used as a base for U.S. infantry units but not for U.S. armored or artillery units.
Currently the United States has a military base in the Kyrgyz city of Manas which is used as a transit route for shipping military equipment and weaponry to U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon has announced that it plans to allocate up to $10 million for the construction of the Osh military base, which is obviously a minuscule portion of the U.S. military budget.
Pentagon officials say the Osh base could reinforce the back lines of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, provide assistance in the campaign against terrorism, and prevent the infiltration of Taliban forces from Afghanistan into Kyrgyzstan.
Although U.S. Defense Department officials say only infantry units will be stationed at the base, there must be some ulterior motives behind the U.S. decision to build a base thousands of miles away from its borders in the region Russia calls its near abroad since it would do little to improve security in the region.
Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which all have their own centers for anti-terrorism activities, putting Kyrgyzstan in a good position to effectively fight terrorism and provide its own security.
In light of all this, it is clear that there is no need to build a military base in Osh to support the campaign against terrorism.
But building a new military base could considerably enhance the United States’ projection of power in the region and help Washington secure its interests in Central Asia.
MH/HG
END
MNA