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.
Disasters strike without warning, leaving destruction in their wake. Many assume disaster insurance is only necessary for those living in high-risk areas, but the truth is, 97% of the U.S. population lives in a county covered by a federal disaster declaration...