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Sat 30 Jul, 2005 12:21 am
Uzbekistan evicts United States from air base
By Joanne Morrison;
7/30/05
Uzbekistan has told the United States to quit a military base that has served as a hub for missions to Afghanistan since shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks, a Pentagon spokesman said on Saturday.
A notice to leave Karshi-Khanabad air base, also known as K2, was delivered on Friday by a courier from the Uzbek Foreign Ministry to the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, the Washington Post reported in its Saturday edition, citing an unnamed senior U.S. official involved in Central Asia policy.
Asked about the report, Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood said early on Saturday, "We are aware of the diplomatic note to the U.S. Embassy on the issue of K2 air field and we are working with the State Department, evaluating the note to see exactly what it means."
State department officials could not be reached for comment.
Uzbekistan will give the United States 180 days to move aircraft, personnel and equipment, the newspaper said. It said the United States expects Uzbekistan to follow through on the eviction notice.
The action would create logistical problems for U.S. operations in Afghanistan, the newspaper said. Scores of flights have used the air field to transfer humanitarian goods that are then taken by road into northern Afghanistan, it said.
"The air field has been important to us and the U.S. allies in operations over there," Flood said.
The United States has regarded its bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan as vital for operations in Afghanistan. However, the U.S. presence in Central Asia has caused tensions with Russia and China, which joined the five ex-Soviet Central Asian states earlier this month to demand a U.S. deadline for leaving the bases.
U.S. relations with authoritarian Uzbekistan also have been strained by the Uzbek government's bloody suppression in May of a rebellion in the eastern town of Andizhan, which drew U.S. criticism.
Just last Monday, however, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld responded to a question about maintaining the base in Uzbekistan by saying "We've had a good relationship. It's a good relationship now."
He was speaking during a visit to Kyrgyzstan, whose defense minister said the United States would not need a military presence in that country once stability had returned to Afghanistan.
<Clark Gable voice over>
I wouldn't be so glad to see them leave, Scarlett. "With them goes the last vestiges of civility."
That place will erupt when we go.
We need to go.
We may have to send troops back, though. I foresee genocide and/or increased problems with the Russians. I don't think we'll be out of those barracks for more than a year. (But, we'll see.)
It's almost Cold Warrish. We have a proxy "war" with the Russians on who will wind up in power. I bet there is a lot of behind the scenes jockeying going on right about now.
That was supposed to be after the Uzbekistan post LOL, not the Germany one...
Re: U.S. Army to leave 13 bases in Germany
BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:Posted 7/29/2005 7:05 PM
U.S. Army to leave 13 bases in Germany
Quote:Where, when units are scheduled to go
Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, July 30, 2005
The 1st Infantry Division units that will return to the United States or inactivate by September 2006 (* indicates incomplete units):
Headquarters, Headquarters Battery, Division Artillery (inactivates)
Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 1st ID (returns)
Headquarters, Headquarters Company, Division Engineer (inactivates)
510th Engineer Detachment (Topographical) (inactivates)
517th Engineer Detachment (Topographical) (inactivates)
Headquarters, Headquarters Company, Division Support Command (returns)
701st Main Support Battalion (inactivates)
1st Battalion, 1st Attack Aviation Regiment (returns for Longbow transition in November)
101st Military Intelligence Battalion* (inactivates)
121st Signal Battalion* (inactivates)
1st Military Police Company* (inactivates)
1st ID Band (returns)
1st ID units to be converted by September 2006:
1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment* to become the Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition squadron of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
1st ID Division Aviation Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company reflagged as the 12th Aviation Brigade to become part of U.S. Army Europe Multi-functional Aviation Brigade (MFAB)
2nd Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment reflagged as the 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment to become part of USAREUR MFAB
601st Division Aviation Support Battalion to become part of USAREUR MFAB
82nd Engineer Battalion* becomes the Brigade Troops Battalion for the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team (BCT)
1st Battalion, 33rd Field Artillery Regiment becomes the Fires Battalion of the 173rd Airborne BCT
Also:
The 12th Chemical Company and Biological Integrated Detection Systems platoons (Kitzingen) will be retained and move to Grafenwöhr
The 4th Battalion, 3rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is inactivating this year.
Non-1st ID units stationed on the closing installations (unless noted, actions will occur by September 2006):
Harvey Barracks, Kitzingen
147th Maintenance Company will inactivate by September 2007 and its personnel authorizations will be used to build the MFAB
212th MP Company* will move to Grafenwöhr
Detachment A and the 1st Postal Platoon of the 38th Personnel Services Battalion will inactivate
Larson Barracks, Kitzingen
17th Signal Battalion will inactivate and its personnel authorizations will be used to support the building of the MFAB in Katterbach and 173rd Airborne BCT in Bamberg
Detachment A, 106th Finance Battalion will inactivate
Faulenberg Kaserne, Würzburg
Headquarters, Headquarters Detachment and Detachment A, 106th Finance Battalion will inactivate; Detachment E of this unit, stationed in Bamberg, will also inactivate; Detachments B, C and D respectively in in Grafenwöhr/Vilseck, Schweinfurt and Ansbach will reorganize under the 39th Finance Battalion
Giebelstadt Army Airfield
Headquarters, Headquarters Battery, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade will move to Leighton Barracks, Würzburg, where final disposition of the unit will be determined and announced later
12th Aviation Brigade inactivates
HHC and Company A, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (12th Brigade) is reflagged and returns while Company B is stationed in Aviano, Italy, and will be retained
3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment will move to Ansbach
Company F, 159th (CH-47) Aviation Regiment will move to Illesheim
7th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment (Maintenance) will move to Illesheim to support the building of the MFAB.
72nd Veterinary Detachment* will move to Leighton Barracks, where the final disposition of the unit will be determined and announced later
67th Forward Surgical Team will move to Landstuhl
523rd Medical Company (Dental Services) will inactivate
Leighton Barracks, Würzburg (closing at a future date)
69th Signal Battalion will move to Grafenwöhr.
Würzburg Hospital
At some time in the future, the 67th Combat Support Hospital will inactivate and its personnel spaces will be used to convert the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Miesau to a Combat Support Hospital. Staffing at the Würzburg Hospital will be able to support troop populations until it is no longer needed.
NOTE: The 2nd Brigade Combat Team will be assigned to another USAREUR unit until further disposition is determined and announced. All other 1st ID units remaining in Europe will be converted and/or reassigned to support Army transformation. Also, disposition of other tenant organizations or facilities announced for closure Friday will be determined and announced in the future.
Source: U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs Office
Source
Re: Uzbekistan evicts United States from air base
BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:Uzbekistan evicts United States from air base
This has been known as a rumour since longer:
in early July, the Uzbek foreign ministry issued a statement, saying that the government would reconsider the issue of US military presence in the Uzbek Karshi-Khanabad air base.
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