Thursday, April 30, 2009

DTN News: Military TODAY April 30, 2009

DTN News: Military TODAY April 30, 2009
(NSI News Source Info) April 30, 2009: Members of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade wait to deploy to Afghanistan from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Camp Lejeune, N.C. , Thursday, April 30, 2009.
The brigade will conduct counter-insurgency operations in partnership with Afghan National Security Forces.

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY April 30, 2009

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY April 30, 2009
(NSI News Source Info) KABUL/PESHAWAR - April 30, 2009: Afghan refugees who fled Afghanistan due to war, drought and fierce fighting among warlords, wait to go back to their country on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan on Thursday, April 30, 2009.
Afghan refugees who are forgotten by the international community are leaving the miserable conditions in camps and as the hot summer approaches many families are returning to their homeland.

US President Barack Obama Day To Day Activities On April 30, 2009

US President Barack Obama Day To Day Activities On April 30, 2009
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - April 30, 2009: U.S. President Barack Obama arrives with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Tammy Duckworth, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates for the start of the "White House to Light House" Ride at the South Lawn of the White House April 30, 2009 in Washington, DC.
Obama officiated the start of the "White House to Light House" Wounded Warrior Soldier's Ride National Tour, a project that provides rehabilitation opportunities for wounded warriors and raises public awareness for those that have been severely injured.

Russia Vows Firm Reply To NATO's 'Vulgar' Expulsion Of Diplomats

Russia Vows Firm Reply To NATO's 'Vulgar' Expulsion Of Diplomats
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - April 30, 2009: Russia views an attempt to expel two Russian diplomats from NATO's headquarters in Brussels as "a vulgar provocation," the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. The Russian ambassador to NATO said Moscow's reaction to NATO's cancelation of accreditation for the two officials from Russia's NATO delegation and their possible expulsion from Belgium would be firm. "The response will be clear and tough," Dmitry Rogozin said. The Foreign Ministry said NATO was attempting to expel the diplomats on "an absolutely far-fetched pretext," and urged all NATO member states to think over the consequences of the action. "The scandalous move runs counter to NATO leaders' statements on their readiness to improve relations with Russia," it added. "Naturally, we will draw our own conclusions about this provocation." Rogozin confirmed that one of the two diplomats facing expulsion is the son of Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's ambassador to the EU. The Financial Times reported Thursday that NATO had acted in response to the spy scandal involving Estonian official Herman Simm, who was convicted in February for passing NATO secrets to Russia.

Russia Signs Deals With Abkhazia, South Ossetia On Border Protection

Russia Signs Deals With Abkhazia, South Ossetia On Border Protection
(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - April 30, 2009: Russia signed on Thursday joint border protection agreements with the former Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The agreements were signed in the Kremlin by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh, and South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity. Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states after the five-day war with Georgia, which attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control. Most residents of both Abkhazia and South Ossetia had held Russian citizenship for several years. Under the agreements, Russia will guard the Abkhaz and South Ossetian borders, including maritime frontiers, until both republics form their own border guard services. The agreements, for an initial five years, can be renewed upon their expiration. The sides also signed interdepartmental agreements on cooperation between the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the Abkhaz State Security Service and the South Ossetian Committee of State Security. NATO considers the agreements signed by Russia and the two republics to be a breach in earlier reached agreements, Reuters reported on Thursday. "This [signing of the pacts] is in clear contravention of the 12th August and 8th September agreements negotiated by the European Union and is not in the interests of long-term peace and security in the South Caucasus region," Reuters quoted a NATO spokesman as saying.

The Netherlands: Car Attack On Dutch Royal Parade

The Netherlands: Car Attack On Dutch Royal Parade
(NSI News Source Info) April 30, 2009: A car driver has crashed into crowds watching a Dutch royal parade, killing five people, in an attempted attack on the royal family, officials say. The car careered into a monument metres from an open-topped bus carrying Queen Beatrix and members of her family. The royals, who were unharmed, watched in horror as the car ploughed into bystanders in Apeldoorn, about 90km (56 miles) east of Amsterdam. Officials said the 38-year-old driver had suffered life-threatening injuries. We're speechless that something so terrible could have happened Queen Beatrix Prosecutor Ludo Goossens said the man, who is a Dutch national, would be charged with attempting an attack on the royal family and murder - if he survives. "The man indicated that his action was aimed against the royal family," Mr Goossens told journalists in Apeldoorn. After searching the car and his home, investigators ruled out terrorism as a motive and said it appeared he had acted alone. 'Bewilderment and disbelief' Members of the royal family were shown looking on in horror as the battered car rammed spectators before crashing into the stone monument. In a televised address, Queen Beatrix called the incident shocking, and said everyone would empathise with the victims and their families and friends. "What began as a great day has ended in a terrible tragedy that has shocked us all deeply," she said. "People who were standing close by, people who saw it happen on television, all those who lived through it, must have looked on with bewilderment and disbelief. "We're speechless that something so terrible could have happened." Cynthia Boll, a photographer at the scene, told the BBC the car was already badly damaged before it slammed into the crowds at high speed. "There were people everywhere, you could definitely see that it was serious because everywhere was blood and shoes ripped off and all the people giving CPR," she said. Other witnesses described people being flung into the air as the car crashed through the throngs who had turned out to see the queen. Officials said two men and two women died at the scene of the incident, while another person died later in hospital. Taken by surprise The crowds were celebrating Queen's Day - a national holiday in the Netherlands when thousands of people take to the streets to mark the queen's official birthday. Hundreds of police officers were on duty in a huge security operation that took months to plan. But the authorities said they were taken completely by surprise when the small black car smashed through a security fence and into the crowd of people. Following the incident, flags were lowered to half mast on government buildings across the country and all planned celebrations were called off. Witnesses said the streets of Apeldoorn were now deserted.

India: Electoral Polling Peaceful

India: Electoral Polling Peaceful
*Analysis: India is the largest democracy in the world. In the name of democracy Indian politicans sham the system by unethical remarks, horse trading, overspending, buying votes and the list is endless. In 2004 general elections cost the taxpayer $2.5 billion and the current 2009 general elections estimated official cost is $5 billion but unofficially the cost would exceed almost to approx. $10-12 billion! What a waste of money for a country needy for funds and can invest the same amount in infrastructure? Secondly, majority of the Indian policiticans have no educational qualifications and as lawmakers in the parliament the Indian government should set a degree that anyone aspiring for politics should have a law, university or MBA qualifications. Thirdly, the current Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is very highly educated and is one of the best prime minister India ever had. Unfortunately, an opposition leader side passed some remarks about Dr. Manmohan Singh that he is a weak prime minister. It is unethical and stupid remarks by that entity, there should be mutual understanding and respect amongst politicans to set a good example for others to follow. Lastly, still India is a great democracy going at a snail's pace and if the system is sorted out rationally with politicans having more vested interest for the country then themselves the country will go at a greater pace of development. (DTN Defense-Technology News)
(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - April 30, 2009: An Election Commission official said Thursday the three polling phases of the 2009 general elections in India have ended in a peaceful manner. Deputy Election Commissioner R. Balakrishnan said from New Delhi the third phase of the elections had a nearly 50 percent turnout following 60 percent turnout in the first phase and 55 percent in the second, the Indo-Asian News Service said. "The polling process was absolutely peaceful and extremely satisfactory," Balakrishnan said. The news service said 144 million voters across India were eligible to participate in Thursday's round of polling. The third polling round was for residents of Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Dadar and Nagar Havel, and Daman and Diu.

U.S. Marine Fires Toward Taliban Position In Helmand Province, Afghanistan

U.S. Marine Fires Toward Taliban Position In Helmand Province, Afghanistan
(NSI News Source Info) April 30, 2009: U.S. Marine Sgt. loads a 120mm white phosphorus mortar while firing towards a Taliban position on April 30, 2009 in Now Zad in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
U.S. Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment fired mortars and staged a ground assault on a section of the Taliban front line as part of the major strike.
American air power dropped more than ten tons of explosives on dug-in Taliban fighting positions, according to the military.
The U.S. operation involved Air Force, Marine, Navy and Army aviation and was coordinated as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
The military says the civilian population of Now Zad fled in 2007, leaving the city a battleground between U.S. forces and entrenched Taliban fighters. Hardin is from Nashville, Tenn.

Iran's Delegate Attends NAM In Havana Cuba

Iran's Delegate Attends NAM In Havana Cuba
(NSI News Source Info) April 30, 2009: Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki attends a ministerial meeting for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Havana, Wednesday, April 29, 2009.
The delegates are meeting in preparation for the upcoming 15th NAM summit, to take place in Egypt July 11-16.

German Armed Forces On Patrol In Afghanistan

German Armed Forces On Patrol In Afghanistan
(NSI News Source Info) April 30, 2009: Soldiers of the German armed forces Bundeswehr securing the area as a German liason monitoring team (LMT) walks into a village in Kunduz district, April 28, 2009.
A German soldier was killed and four more injured in an ambush in Afghanistan, the German army said in a statement April 29, 2009.
A patrol of German soldiers was shot at with small arms weapons and rocket propelled grenades in the early evening near Kunduz, said the statement.
The attack came as German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was visiting Afghanistan.

Pakistan: Karachi Firing Kills At Least 23 People

Pakistan: Karachi Firing Kills At Least 23 People
(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD - April 30, 2009: At least 23 people were killed and 22 others wounded in firing in the southern port city of Karachi in Pakistan on Wednesday, local media reported. The violence took place in different parts of Karachi when unidentified gunmen opened fire and set ablaze vehicles, the private Geo TV channel said. A Pakistani motorcyclist rides past a burning passenger mini bus on a street in Karachi and vehicle burns after clashes in the southern city of Karachi April 29, 2009. Police and rescue sources said that over a dozen police and security personnel were also injured in the crossfire between two groups in various areas. Pakistani police have arrested 21 suspected gunmen during a search operation and started investigation into the violence.

Indonesia Conducts Anti-Terrorism Drill For Upcoming ADB Meeting

Indonesia Conducts Anti-Terrorism Drill For Upcoming ADB Meeting
(NSI News Source Info) April 30, 2009: Indonesian soldiers participate in an anti-terrorism drill for the upcoming 42nd Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Bali, Indonesia, April 30, 2009. The 42nd ADB Annual Meeting will be held here from May 2 to 5, 2009.

Indian Election: Third Wave Of Voting Begins

Indian Election: Third Wave Of Voting Begins
(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - April 30, 2009: Polls have opened in the third round of India's month-long elections, with the residents of Mumbai, the site of last year's militant attacks, among 144 million registered to vote.
A Kashmiri woman walks past a paramilitary woman soldier at a closed market area in Srinagar, India, Thursday, April 30, 2009. Thousands of government forces in riot gear patrolled the main city in India's portion of Kashmir Thursday as voting began in the southern part of the disputed Himalayan region amid separatists' call for a strike and boycott of the polls.
Polling booths opened at 7:00am (0130 GMT), with voting in most districts set to end at 5:00pm. Among the nine states voting are parts of impoverished Bihar and populous Uttar Pradesh in the north, Gujarat in the west, the southern agricultural state of Karnataka, and leftist-dominated eastern West Bengal. The states are seen as key to the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party's bid to win power from the Congress-led ruling coalition. The BJP appears to trail its main rival in a staggered election that could produce a weak coalition government as India grapples with the global economic slowdown and a spate of militant attacks in the past year. The BJP will hope to get a big haul in the western state of Gujarat where one of the party's biggest stars, the controversial chief minister Narendra Modi, is a poster boy for the party's campaign of development and good governance. Security was tight, especially at polling stations in Bihar and West Bengal considered at risk from Maoist rebels who marred the first round of voting two weeks ago with a series of attacks that claimed nearly 20 lives. More than 19,000 paramilitary troops had been deployed to keep the peace. Ten parliamentary seats are up for grabs in India's financial and entertainment capital, Mumbai, which has seen an increase in political activism among its traditionally apathetic middle class since the November militant strikes that killed 166. The marathon, five-stage election - the world's largest democratic exercise - wraps up on May 13, with the final results expected three days later.

British Forces End Combat Role In Iraq / British Forces Lost In Basra Remembered At Final Service

British Forces End Combat Role In Iraq / British Forces Lost In Basra Remembered At Final Service
(NSI News Source Info) April 30, 2009: A memorial service to the British Service personnel and civilians who have died since operations began in Iraq in 2003 has been held at the Basra Memorial Wall this morning. The memorial service takes place at the Basra Contingency Operating Base as the UK mission in Iraq comes to a close [Picture: Corporal James Williams RLC] With British combat operations in southern Iraq drawing to a close and UK Service personnel preparing to draw down from Basra, this was the last service to be held at the wall in Basra which stands outside the UK Headquarters building on the Basra Contingency Operating Base. The service, which was held this morning, Thursday 30 April 2009, was attended by personnel from all three Services, senior coalition officers and the Defence Secretary John Hutton. The Basra Memorial Wall commemorates the 178 UK Service personnel and one civil servant who have died on Operation TELIC, as well as 46 coalition forces personnel and nine contractors (including two British citizens) killed in Multi-National Division South East's area of operations. The service was conducted by The Reverend Paschal Hanrahan who is padre to the British military Medical Group in Basra.
Representatives from all three Services read out in turn the names of all the 233 coalition fatalities commemorated on the wall. British personnel attend a memorial service at the Basra Contingency Operating Base as the UK mission in Iraq comes to a close [Picture: Corporal James Williams RLC] A bagpiper played a lament followed by a bugler who played the Last Post and Reveille. The end of the service was marked by an RAF Tornado flypast. The Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary made a commitment in December 2008 to bring the Memorial Wall home to a fitting resting place in Britain. The Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth is writing to the families to update them on our plans. The plan is to replicate the memorial wall in Basra as closely as possible at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The MOD is working with the Arboretum to finalise the design. The proposed design will incorporate the marble centre-stone of the Basra Memorial Wall, which is engraved with a quotation from the Book of Wisdom. Work on the foundations of the wall is likely to start at the Arboretum later this year. We hope the memorial wall itself will be completed by July next year. There will be a dedication service next year to unveil the completed memorial.

Boeing-IAI Missile Defense Interceptor Shoots Down Target In Test

Boeing-IAI Missile Defense Interceptor Shoots Down Target In Test
(NSI News Source Info) HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - April 30, 2009: The Boeing Company built part of the Arrow II interceptor that successfully shot down a ballistic missile target April 7 in a test of Israel's national missile defense system. The operationally realistic test, conducted in Israel by the Israel Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, used an interceptor co-produced by Boeing and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and equipped with new capability enhancements. "This successful test underscores the effectiveness of the cooperative relationship we have forged with IAI on the Arrow program and other international missile defense initiatives," said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "Boeing is proud to co-produce Arrow II interceptors, which provide the state of Israel with a proven defense capability against ballistic missile threats." The event marked the co-produced Arrow II's second intercept in two attempts, as well as its third successful flight test. The Arrow II is part of the Arrow Weapon System, which Israel and the United States have jointly developed to defend Israel against the growing threat of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Under an agreement with IAI, the prime contractor for the Arrow Weapon System, Boeing provides several Arrow II interceptor components, including the Section II electronics assembly (part of the avionics and guidance subsystem); the nose cone; the canister assembly that houses the interceptor; electrical subsystems; and motor cases. IAI is responsible for system integration and final interceptor assembly in Israel. Boeing's major suppliers on Arrow II are Alliant-Techsystems (ATK) of Iuka, Miss., and Clearfield, Utah; Manes Machine, of Fort Collins, Colo.; Patterson Machine, of Union Grove, Ala.; and Sanmina-SCI, of Huntsville, Ala.

French Army Ordered 15 ARAVIS® For Afghanistan

French Army Ordered 15 ARAVIS® For Afghanistan
(NSI News Source Info) April 30, 2009: Herve Morin, the Minister for Defence, is pleased about the order for 15 ARAVIS® armoured vehicles placed as part of the defence section of the economy stimulation plan. ARAVIS®, the most protected multi-mission vehicle of its category. Protection is one of the major asset of this new 12 tonne class 4 X 4, an essential requirement of the armed forces, highlighted by the experience acquired in Iraq and in Afghanistan. ARAVIS®’s protection level outclasses that of all existing 4x4 vehicles, with the following combined protection levels : level 4 ballistic protection (defeats 14,5 mm threats), level 4 mine protection (defeats 10kg mines under the belly and wheels) , level 4 artillery splinters protection (defeats 155mm artillery threats) and IED protection. With its easily sustainable Unimog châssis, ARAVIS® offers as well a very high tactical mobility on road and in cross-country. It is transportable by air in C130, A400M and C17. This vehicule offers a large internal volume of 9.5 m3 and can carry 2 permanent crew plus up to 6 infantry men with their equipment. ARAVIS®, can be fitted with remote cotrolled weapon station. This vehicle is ideal to achieve piece keeping and law enforcement operation, especially in urban aera. That section of the economy stimulation plan amounts to 2.4 billion euros and will be used, among other things, towards a 10% increase in funds dedicated to equipment purchase in 2009. The Delegation Generale pour l`Armement (DGA – French Procurement Agency) advised NEXTER Systems of the contract on April 16, 2009. The purchase will provide the French Army with highly protected vehicles for reconnaissance assignments on potentially mined routes. The ARAVIS®s will go to the Engineers unit, which escorts BUFFALO and SOUVIM vehicles specialised in improvised explosive device prevention (IED) tasks in Afghanistan. The ARAVIS® is a 12.5-ton, air-transportable 4WD vehicle with a high level of combined protection against mines and improvised explosive devices (IED). It can carry as many as 7 Engineers unit personnel. Since it may have to counter-attack in unsafe area, it has a remote-controlled weapon station with a 12.7 mm machine gun similar to the VAB TOPs used in Afghanistan since the beginning of the year. For its reconnaissance tasks, the ARAVIS® has, in addition to the turret cameras, peripheral cameras showing the nearby environment around the vehicle. The first vehicles will be delivered by NEXTER Systems to the DGA at the end of 2009. Users and personnel in charge of maintaining the ARAVIS®s will be trained upon the delivery of the first vehicles.

Chile To Finalize F-16 Deal With Netherlands - Minister

Chile To Finalize F-16 Deal With Netherlands - Minister
(NSI News Source Info) SANTIAGO - April 30, 2009: The Chilean Air Force is on the cusp of acquiring 18 used F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands, Defense Minister Francisco Vidal said Wednesday. The F-16 is the largest Western jet fighter program with over 4,400 aircraft built since production was approved in 1976. Though no longer being bought by the U.S. Air Force, advanced versions are still being built for export customers. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation, which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta. Although the $278 million contract has not yet been signed by the two countries, Vidal insisted the deal was ready to go. "The deal is closed, only the signatures are missing," Vidal said Wednesday, following an earlier denial from the Netherlands that a deal had been reached. The F-16 fighters will replace the Chile's aging F-5 jets, which have been in use since 1976. "Chile has acquired a new fleet of F-16 planes," Vidal announced late Tuesday after leaving a Defense Commission hearing in the Congress. The jets will join the Chilean Air Force in December, he added. The purchase is the second military deal between Chile and the Netherlands, after Santiago's 2006 acquisition of 18 used F-16 jets at a cost of $185 million. In 2003, Chile bought 10 new F-16 jets from U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) at a cost of $660 million.

Taliban Pressures NATO Supply Lines In Pakistan

Taliban Pressures NATO Supply Lines In Pakistan
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - April 30, 2009: Although Taliban fighters are battling Pakistani army troops only 100 kilometers from the capital, analysts downplay the potential for a direct armed takeover by the Islamic militants. Pakistani Muslims walk past army vehicles with cannons heading for the military operation against the Taliban.
However, there is a potential for them not only to ratchet up suicide attacks, but also to put greater pressure on the routes ferrying supplies through Pakistan to NATO troops in Afghanistan. Analysts say the move by Pakistan-based Taliban fighters out of their traditional base in the tribal areas along the border could spell trouble for the Obama administration's new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy. The U.S. plan calls for increasing troop levels in Afghanistan as well as a gradual increase in counterinsurgency aid for Pakistan. More troops will require more supplies. Landlocked Afghanistan can be supplied only overland and by air. And the most viable overland supply lines run through Pakistan, which is locked in its own insurgency. Kamran Bokhari, an analyst with the private intelligence firm Stratfor, points out that the Pakistani Taliban and the Afghan Taliban have different primary goals. The Pakistani Taliban wants to destabilize the Islamabad government, while the Afghan Taliban wants to force Western troops out of Afghanistan. "Obviously, striking at the supply line is helping the brethren across the border in Afghanistan. But there is a complex disconnect between those who say the focus of the fighting or the insurgency should be in Afghanistan and those who say we should raise an uprising against the Pakistani state. So definitely, they're helping their guys on the other side. But at the same time, they have these other differences that are running parallel. It's like cooperation and competition taking place in tandem," he said. Seventy percent of Western supplies to NATO forces have to pass through lawless ground in the tribal areas of Baluchistan and militant-held areas in the North-West Frontier Province. Supplies are offloaded in the port city of Karachi and trucked to depots in Peshawar, then through the Khyber Pass and on to Kabul. The Khyber Pass, which has been a supply and trade route since the time of Alexander the Great, is particularly vulnerable. Blowing up a bridge there can shut down convoy traffic for days, as has happened at least seven times since last September. The depots and terminals that store supplies in Peshawar also have been plagued by suspected Taliban sabotage. But the convoys are not escorted by either U.S. or Pakistani forces. Using American troops is politically untenable in Pakistan, so the United States uses Pakistani security contractors rather than enlisting the Pakistan army for security. Stratfor analyst Kamran Bokhari says that does not sit well with Islamabad. "They don't want the United States overriding them and making their own direct channels with local security contractors and other firms and transportation company. So that's their main incentive. Second of all, if the army is doing it or is in charge of ferrying all these supplies and making sure they reach their destinations, there is a monetary incentive in that because there's a lot of money involved and the military will get a cut in that," he said. Brian Cloughley, a former Australian army military attaché in Islamabad, says the system is riddled with corruption even among the contractors. "There's quite a lot of underhanded maneuvering concerning contracts and, of course, the actual passage of vehicles because one contractor can perhaps say, 'Right, if you are not going to pay me off, I will ensure that your convoy is torched [i.e., burned],'" he said. Retired Lieutenant General Ali Aurakzai, former army corps commander in Peshawar and former governor of the North-West Frontier Province, says that even if the supplies are not weapons-related, the routing of NATO convoys through the province nevertheless is resented among local tribespeople. "The plea [position] that the militants have taken is that the government of Pakistan allows these convoys to use our territory where ammunition and weapons are transported to Afghanistan, and then the same weapons and ammunition are used against us in the form of drone attacks and helicopters coming and artillery fire coming across from Afghanistan and killing innocent people in the tribal areas," he said. There are also air routes, but those supply lines have been subjected to political pressures. The United States has been trying to persuade Kyrgyzstan not to close the Menas air base in the central Asian state, which has been used to move military personnel and goods in and out of Afghanistan. The U.S. had an air base in Uzbekistan, but was evicted in 2005 in a dispute over that country's poor human rights record. The U.S. has also started moving some supplies through Russia and other central Asian states. But Pakistan remains the most direct route - if not the safest one.