Gates: U.S. would pay more rent at Manas

[unhappycamper]

A lineup of U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker planes seen at the Manas air base in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Feb. 18. Kyrgyzstan's parliament voted to close the air base that provides key support to military operations in Afghanistan


Gates: U.S. would pay more rent at Manas
By Anne Gearan - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 19, 2009 18:57:02 EST

KRAKOW, Poland — U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday played down Kyrgyzstan’s moves to kick the United States off a strategic air base and said he was willing to negotiate higher rent to stay.

Speaking hours after Kyrgyzstan’s parliament voted 78-1 to evict the U.S. military, Gates said the Central Asian base — which sends some 500 tons of supplies to the Afghanistan war each month — is important. But he said it’s not irreplaceable, and that the former Soviet republic won’t put the U.S. over a barrel.

“We are prepared to look at the fees and see if there is justification for a somewhat larger payment,” Gates said at a press conference. “But we’re not going to be ridiculous about it.”

Gates, in Europe for NATO talks, also said the new Obama administration needs more time to decide the fate of a proposed European missile defense shield that soured the previous Bush administration’s relations with Russia. Part of the system would be based in Poland, and the Polish defense chief pressed Gates for an answer amid speculation that President Barack Obama could walk away from the deal.

“Between the economic crisis, Afghanistan and Iraq, the administration has not reviewed where it is on a whole range of issues,” Gates told reporters, adding that he asked the Poles for patience.


Rest of article at: http://marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_kyrgyzstan_base_021909/%2e

[Angleae]

1. And yet again, military reporters misidentify their own equipment.

Those are C-17s, not KC-135s.