The haggling over rent at Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan may be coming to a close, now that officials at the US Embassy in Bishkek say they want a “quick conclusion” to discussions with the Kyrgyz government, an embassy spokesman told Reuters news service. The comment came a day after Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev told the US he would evict the American military if the US did not agree to a new monetary arrangement. Manas serves as a primary staging area for USAF refueling tankers supporting operations in Afghanistan.
Navy Adm. Samuel J. Paparo Jr. assumed leadership of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, succeeding Navy Adm. John Aquilino at a change of command ceremony, urging action amid China's “increasing intrusive and expansionist claims,” on May 3