Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said Wednesday that he is reserving the right to shut down the USAF-operated Manas Air Base if the US does not renegotiate the contract on the facility’s use. According to Reuters news service, Bakiyev expects a satisfactory end to rent negotiations by June 1. Just last fall, Bakiyev told US officials that the US military could continue to use the base until the situation in Afghanistan stabilized. At the same time, he said the rent would go up.
U.S. Northern Command plans to sign an agreement with its European and Pacific counterparts to enhance coordination and close security seams in the Arctic, a strategically vital region that spans all three commands. The agreement comes at an important moment in NORTHCOM's evolution, as its mission grows more complex.
