General David Petraeus traveled to Uzbekistan last week to speak with one of the world's most ruthless dictators. The popular speculation is that Petraeus, commander of United States forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, made the visit to the capital city of Tashkent as an attempt to court Uzbek President Islam Karimov.
The State Department has denied the visit involved negotiations for a transport agreement between the two countries, whose relationship has cooled since the Andijan massacre of 2005. Why would the United States be courting a dictator responsible for the deaths of thousands of his own civilians? Three words: Manas Air Base.
Several days after President Obama announced the departure of 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan, the largest supply air base in the region was threatened with the prospect of closure.
The Manas Air Base in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan has been one of the most vital lifelines for supplies in Afghanistan. Over 15,000 troops pass through the gates of Manas every month on their way in and out of Afghanistan. The base also serves as an important source of midair refueling aircraft. More than 11,000 individual aircrafts were refueled by Manas tankers in 2008 alone.
The United States has been forking over 17 million dollars in rental fees and 150 million in additional aid packages for every year the country has occupied the base. Last week, however, the Kyrgyz parliament passed a measure ordering the United States to vacate the premises or pay hundreds of millions of dollars more.
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed the measure into law, giving the United States 180 days to pack up and leave. Bakiyev had promoted the plan vigorously in national newspapers ever since Russia agreed to give over two billion dollars in aid to the impoverished Central Asian country. Although Russia denies any involvement in Kyrgyzstan's decision to serve the eviction notice, it is well-known Russia does not feel comfortable with a U.S. air base in the region.
Russia-United States controversies aside, it is important that the U.S. maintains their hold in Bishkek for several reasons. The supply need is crucial. Trade routes through the Khyber Pass between Pakistan and Afghanistan have come under increased attacks by Taliban insurgents in recent months. If Manas falls through, the U.S. will be forced to reopen negotiations with Uzbekistan, and this is where the problem lies.
Uzbekistan possesses extensive rail networks connecting it with Afghanistan. If the United States loses Manas Air Base, it will be forced to use these rail lines instead. The United States originally maintained an air base in southern Uzbekistan until mid 2005. The Karshi-Khanabad facility was an important support base for the original invasion in 2001, but Uzbekistan ended their relationship with the US after the Andijan Massacre in 2005.
Considered the worst civilian massacre since the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, official reports have estimated that as many as 750 Uzbek civilians were mowed down by police forces while protesting the arrest of 23 businessmen in the northern city of Andijan. The protesters had broken the defendants out of jail the night before and occupied the city's main government building, demanding that Karimov explain their arrest, widely believed to be a result of their opposition to Karimov's government. Rapid response forces were quickly assembled and snipers, automatic rifles and armored vehicles mowed down the crowd after numbers surpassed 10,000 in the square.
International human rights groups have continually criticized Karimov for his suppression of journalists, Muslims and opposition members. The British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, was recently relieved of his post when he spoke out against the slaying of two opposition members who were arrested and boiled to death. Boilings have become commonplace in the former Soviet Republic, where over 10,000 political prisoners are held in Soviet-era gulags.
Some Karimov supporters argue that his deposition would lead Uzbekistan down the path to social turmoil, but his harsh tactics are unacceptable. If the United States truly wants to build a new image as a leader in global human rights, it should find another means of supply or just plain pay Kyrgyzstan what it wants. Supporting Karimov will only legitimize his reign of terror and lead to countless more civilian deaths.
Tom Hart is a senior majoring in history. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com
