Kyrgyzstan Votes to Shut Critical US Airbase

Military must leave Central Asian republic in 180 days
By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 19, 2009 7:00 AM CST
Kyrgyzstan Votes to Shut Critical US Airbase
An Air Force personnel member walks by a US plane at the Manas air base in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009.   (AP Photo/Azamat Imanaliev)

The parliament of Kyrgyzstan voted nearly unanimously to close a critical American military base in the country, dealing a blow to Barack Obama's efforts to reinforce troops in Afghanistan. The vote, 78-1, means that the US has 180 days to remove its airplanes and equipment, reports the Guardian. Kyrgyzstan's president announced the surprise expulsion last month in Moscow after Russia promised the former Soviet state a $2.15 billion loan and debt forgiveness. (More Kyrgyzstan stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X