US Aircraft To Be Deployed In Kyrgyzstan

On Thursday, the parliament of Kyrgyzstan decided to give USAF access to ground facilities on the Kyrgyz territory. The US military aircraft will be deployed on the territory of the Manas international airport in the capital of Kyrgyzstan. While speaking on Thursday to legislators, Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev said that the country pursued goals of its own security above all when giving its aerodromes to the USAF disposal. He refuted the arguments by a number of deputies that deployment of US military aircraft in Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian states might change the geopolitical situation in the region. According to the president, international terrorism, religious extremism and illegal drug trafficking that recently flourished in Afghanistan, were a threat not only to the regional, but also global stability. Thus, the US military units conducting the anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, will first and foremost "serve the interests of the Afghan people as well as the neighbouring nations, including Kyrgyzstan," said the president. Governments of France, Italy, Canada, Australia, and South Korea have also requested Kyrgyzstan to be allowed to deploy their aircraft on its territory.