Reply #2: I think Rummy was referring to negotiations with... [View All]

[punpirate]

... the Uzbek government about the amount of the rent. Uzbekistan wanted to throw out the US, first (one can be sure the real reason is not suppression of dissent). Then there was some talk about Uzbekistan wanting more in lease money. Now this.

I suspect that, in the background of all this, there is a deal with the Russians. The US has been spending, through the Pentagon and USAID, a huge amount of money to rebuild the former Soviet air base outside of Tashkent. Now that most of that work is done, the Russians would like their base back (they are, in fact, rather nearby, at another, smaller base that is likely not so nearly well-appointed as the one refurbished by the Americans).

Cheers.