Keeping U.S. Military In Tajikistan For Too Long Would Be Illegal

The USA and its allies on the territory of Tajikistan cannot keep their military on the territory of Tajikistan too long because this presence isn't legally grounded, believes Abdullo Khabibov of the Defence and Order Committee of the Tajik parliament. Letting the USA and its allies temporarily deploy their military contingent in Tajikistan is a normal working procedure necessary for the ongoing international struggle against terrorism in Afghanistan, said Khabibov. However, neither the president nor parliament of Tajikistan ever allowed foreigners to set up a military base in the republic, he noted, adding that an intergovernmental agreement on the setting up of a military base in Tajikistan was signed only with the Russian Federation. As of today, the document has been ratified by the parliaments of both countries. However, the military phase of the anti-terrorist campaign in Afghanistan is not over yet, so Tajikistan intends to let the USA and its allies temporarily deploy their search-and-rescue units on its territory until they set up military bases in Afghanistan, said the deputy.