Kyrgyzstan bent on evicting US air base in 2014

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) ? Kyrgyzstan's president has reaffirmed that next year the Central Asian nation will evict the U.S. air base that supports military operations in nearby Afghanistan.

President Almazbek Atambayev has repeatedly pledged to shut the Manas Transit Center next year, dismissing U.S. assumptions the base would remain in exchange for higher rent. The United States pays $60 million annually for the base.

Atambayev said Tuesday the Kyrgyz Cabinet had drafted a bill on the base closure and submitted it to parliament. He said Kyrgyzstan would compensate for the loss of revenue through other economic projects.

All U.S. troops moving in and out of nearby Afghanistan travel through Manas. Large numbers of troops are set to flow through the facility as part of the withdrawal of most international troops next year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kyrgyzstan-bent-evicting-us-air-2014-161744872.html

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