Kyrgyzstan is entertaining (or not) US officials who have come to haggle over the Kyrgyz ultimatum—pay more for the use of Manas Air Base or get out. Agence France Presse news service reports that American negotiators were to arrive earlier this week to discuss the proposed hundred-fold increase in rent, which Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev told his fellow citizens via national radio is not a matter for “haggling as though we were in a bazaar.”
A new Department of the Air Force memo clarifies that civilian employees must either work or use accrued leave on Family Days. The memo also notes Family Days will be evaluated in the coming weeks, sparking concerns regarding changes around the tradition.