Pentagon Refuses To Confirm Or Deny Reports About U.s. Military Planes Arriving In Uzbekistan

The Pentagon has refused to either confirm or deny reports saying the first U.S. aircraft arrived in Uzbekistan on Saturday. Answering RIA Novosti's question, a source in the Pentagon said the U.S. defence department "does not comment this information." According to U.S. media reports, several planes have already arrived at an Uzbek military base. AP news agency cites one of its cameramen as saying he saw an aircraft with U.S. wing marking above an air base outside Hanabad, 290 km southwest of Tashkent. Another "big" U.S. plane was reportedly seen taking off from the air base. CNN reports that U.S. military transport aircraft are probably transferring the United States' 10th mountain rifle division to the Uzbek base. Yesterday, a source in the Pentagon said the first groups of servicemen from this division, around 1,000 people in all, were expected in Uzbekistan as early as Friday. Presumably, their task is to ensure the safety of U.S. planes in Uzbekistan and participate in search-and-rescue operations in Afghanistan in case the U.S. launches an anti-terrorist operation against this country.