US embassy cable - 05ALMATY2595

UNCLAS ALMATY 002595 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KZ, PREL, MARR, POLITICAL 
SUBJECT: SUBJECT:  KAZAKHSTAN:  UZBEK EMBASSY CIRCULATES 
PRESS RELEASE ON GOU POSITION ON U.S. BASE IN UZBEKISTAN 
 
1.(U)  In the wake of the July 5 Shanghai Cooperation 
Organization (SCO) Declaration calling for a timeline for 
U.S. departure from bases in Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz 
Republic, the Uzbek Embassy circulated an MFA press release 
to the Kazakhstan MFA, the diplomatic community, and 
international organizations in Kazakhstan on July 7 to 
clarify the GOU's position on the U.S. base in Uzbekistan. 
 
2. (SBU)  The Uzbek press release, issued in English, first 
explains the GOU perspective on why the GOU allowed the USG 
to establish a base on October 7, 2001.  The primary reason, 
according to the GOU, was because the Taliban in Afghanistan 
directly threatened Uzbekistan,s security, stability, and 
territorial integrity, and Uzbekistan wanted to contribute to 
the coalition to fight terrorism in Afghanistan.  The press 
release then goes on to point out that permission to use the 
base was only intended for operations against Afghanistan and 
nothing else.  The release concludes by piquantly 
underscoring that the USG has not sufficiently paid the GOU 
for its help: 
&(T)he U.S. practically has not made any payments to cover 
the extra costs made in fact by the Uzbek side to ensure the 
 Khanabad, airfield security, establish and exploit the 
needed infrastructure, and nor has (it) compensated the 
environmental damage and discomfort for the local 
population.8  Furthermore, the GOU claims the USG has never 
paid for aircraft take-offs and landings on Uzbek territory 
and asserts that these issues must be the basis of further 
discussions on the future of the U.S. armed forces at 
Karshi-Khanabad. 
 
3. (SBU)  Comment:  This is the most forceful public 
commentary coming from the Government of Uzbekistan that we 
have seen from this vantage point.  It is not clear whether 
this press release was issued only in Kazakhstan or 
distributed more broadly.  End Comment. 
ORDWAY 
 
 
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