DTN News: Tajikistan TODAY November 6, 2010 - The White Elephant In Tajikistan

DTN News: Tajikistan TODAY November 6, 2010 - The White Elephant In Tajikistan

* It was but four years ago that Ayni Airbase was set to become India’s first visible geopolitical move into Central Asia. What happened?

Source: DTN News - - This article courtesy Raj Seth by Joshua Kucera - The Caravan

(NSI News Source Info) - November 6, 2010: When India began renovating Tajikistan’s Ayni

airbase earlier in the decade, it looked set to become India’s first foreign military base, and to make Tajikistan a player in the competition among outside powers jockeying to establish outposts in Central Asia. The Indian government appeared ready to declare the base operational in 2006. PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil visiting with the Defence Minister of Tajikistan, Colonel General Sherali Khayrulloyev, in Dushanbe on 7 September 2009.

In early September that year, Tajikistan’s president, Emomalii Rahmon, declared the base and its 3,200-metre runway to be open. And although information about the base is closely guarded by both the Indian and Tajik ministries of defence, it now appears that India will not use Ayni after all, depriving isolated, impoverished Tajikistan of the rent money and geopolitical clout it could have been gaining by allowing another country to use the base. And India remains without this foothold in Tajikistan, a mountainous country of about seven million, just north of Afghanistan. Tajikistan—the poorest corner of the former Soviet Union, and still unstable after a brutal civil war in the 1990s—holds a geographic position with obvious appeal to India, offering Delhi not only a strategic counterweight to Pakistan’s considerable influence in Afghanistan, but an airbase within striking distance of its troublesome neighbour. But India’s ambitions in Central Asia have been thwarted, according to many in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, by Russia: Moscow does not want anyone else to use the base, though Tajikistan’s deteriorating relations with Russia have disinclined Dushanbe from wanting to host another Russian base in its territory. “They [members of the Tajikistan government] don’t know what to do with this airbase. We don’t need it for ourselves, but to give it to someone else would create problems with other countries,” said Faridoon Khodizoda, a political analyst in Dushanbe. The Russian Embassy in Dushanbe did not respond to requests for comment, and a spokesman at the Indian Embassy said he could not comment on Ayni, but referred questions to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defence. They did not respond to requests for comment. India has renovated runways and hangars at Ayni, but the Indian government has never publically stated its longerterm intentions for the base. Reports in the Indian press have suggested that India hoped to base a squadron of MiG-29 fighter jets there, in an effort to bolster its clout in Central Asia and to counter Pakistani influence in Afghanistan. “Once called the white elephant of Asia, India’s strategic aspirations have now finally come of age,” wrote Shiv Aroor, an Indian journalist who obtained classified information about India’s plans in 2007. “The country’s first military base in a foreign country will be declared ready for use next month. Welcome to Ayni, Tajikistan, India’s first military outpost in a foreign land. Bare minutes from Tajikistan’s border with war-torn Afghanistan, the base gives India a footprint for the first time ever in the region’s troubled history.” Indian political analysts also raved about India’s bold foray into the strategically vital Central Asian region. “There are several reasons underpinning India’s interest in a base at Tajikistan,” wrote analyst Sudha Ramachandran in 2006. “It is close to areas where scores of camps for jihadist and anti-India terrorist groups are based, and it is in the proximity of territory where Pakistan and China are engaged in massive military co-operation. Besides, Tajikistan is in Central Asia, a gas-rich region in which India has growing interests.” Analysts of India’s military now say that those expectations may have been too ambitious. When the renovations began in 2004 and 2005, India did not have a clear plan as to how it would eventually establish a base at Ayni, according to one source close to the Indian armed forces, whose employer does not allow him to speak on the record. “The point, sadly, remains the same: while the Tajik government has kept doors open, at least in a limited sense, the government here hasn’t quite gotten its act together about precisely what or how to leverage the opportunity,” he said. Some analysts said that India’s foray into base politics was merely an attempt to act like the superpower it has not yet become. “India is playing a game,” said Imran Baig, a Washington, DC-based analyst of South Asian security. “To maintain a base with no aircraft is not expensive at all. But to deploy a high-tech fighter squadron full-time at a remote location far from the country of origin is a very, very costly affair and can only be afforded by superpowers.” Still, India appears to want to keep the question of its presence at Ayni open. India’s president, Pratibha Patil, visited Dushanbe last year, and Indian engineers continue to work on construction projects at the base, including a “hotel,” according to one worker at the base who spoke on condition of anonymity. But there were no Indian aircraft there, the worker said. Meanwhile, analysts in Dushanbe argue that Tajikistan’s government may have been courting India with the intention of playing Delhi off Moscow to exert a higher price for Russian usage of the base. Russia appears disinclined to allow India any access to the airfield. Russia’s defence minister, Anatoliy Serdyukov, said last year that Tajikistan and Russia would jointly utilise the base, but Tajikistan has never confirmed that. And Russia, which already maintains a large military base for its 201st Division at Dushanbe, does not appear interested in actually using Ayni, but merely in keeping other countries from using it, said Zafar Sufiyev, the editor-in-chief of Ozodagon, an independent weekly newspaper in Dushanbe. Neither does Tajikistan appear interested in allowing Russia to use the base. Tajikistan’s president, Emomalii Rahmon, recently suggested that Russia, which currently does not pay rent for the 201^st Division base, should do so in the future. The two sides, however, agreed to put off that decision until 2014. Tajik-Russian relations have also been harmed by Moscow’s failure to support Dushanbe, either financially or diplomatically, in the construction of the Rogun Dam, which Tajikistan’s government sees as vital to its future economic security. “Rahmon is not independent enough to say ‘no’ to Russia, and he’s afraid to say ‘yes’ to anyone else,” said Saymuddin Dustov, an analyst in Dushanbe. “So he does nothing.” There has been speculation that the US, facing continuing uncertainty over the use of the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan, might be interested in Ayni as a possible replacement. The Tajikistan government would allow the US to use Ayni at the right price, said Safiyev. “If the government gets more for it than the Americans pay for Manas, they’ll be interested,” he said. “It’s a market.” But the US has said it has no interest in using the base, and it’s not clear anymore whether India would be interested either. It appears that Russia may have made that decision for them.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

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DTN News: Sochi Summit Seeks To Break Curse Of Afghan Heroin

DTN News: Sochi Summit Seeks To Break Curse Of Afghan Heroin

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including RT

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia- August 18, 2010: Afghanistan is the world's largest opium producer, and analysts say a regional approach is the key to winning the global war on drugs. It is the second four-nation meeting of its kind. The first one was held in Tajikistan’s capital of Dushanbe last year. Back then leaders focused on cross border projects, security issues and economic recovery of the region. This year the event’s agenda remains the same. Russia is reluctant to get involved in military action in Afghanistan, but continues to seek a role in settling the conflict. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has met with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai. Russia has been showing its commitment to financially assist the region and Afghanistan in particular. Just several months ago, Russia wrote off the last portion of Afghan debt – $12 billion overall. In connection with this, Russia’s president announced today at the summit that “Russia firmly supports all efforts on the part of Afghanistan to restore peace in the country. We also support the Afghan government’s fight against terror and are ready to provide any help needed to tackle the problem,” Medvedev said. For Russia, Central Asia is a traditional sphere of interest and it has always been sensitive to the instability of the region caused by the Afghan problem. Drug trafficking and Islamic radicalism spreading from Afghanistan are the main security threats. In addition, the drug trade is the main source of finance for Afghan militants. Russia, which became the world’s largest consumer of heroin after the US-military alliance occupied Afghanistan, is striving to break up the drug channeling. An estimated 30,000 people die in Russia annually due to drug abuse, a third of the total world drug death toll. Opium and heroin are pouring into Russia and further into Europe by way of the northern route over the Afghan-Tajik border. Also, Tajiks need no visas to visit Russia, which eases the risk for drug traffickers. Tightening security on the border is one of the central issues of the four-sided talks. President Medvedev is also pushing energy and transportation projects to facilitate economic recovery in the region. Last year Russia finished construction of a major hydroelectric power plant in Tajikistan which produces 12% of all the country’s energy needs. Several other ambitious projects with multi-million investments are being discussed at the talks. Sealing off Afghan’s heroin flow Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan stretches 1,200 kilometres, which is approximately 750 miles. Tajik border guards are being trained by the Russian Federal Security Service under a deal signed back in 2004. The use of different weapons, physical education, combat tactics, and survival techniques are all part of the course. Turning a boy into a soldier is a hard task in itself, but getting him ready to guard one of the trickiest borders in Central Asia is even more difficult. Training sessions are held every day regardless of the time of year. Despite extreme summer heat the troops train in full combat harness to get accustomed to it since it is what they will have to wear on the job. Every six months trained soldiers are sent to guard the border while new conscripts arrive, continuing the cycle. “Terrorism, drug and arms smuggling, and human trafficking have put this region in the global spotlight. That is why there are currently over 20 international organizations, including the UN and the OSCE working in Tajikistan alone,” informs representative of Russian Federal Security Service in Dushanbe Anatoly Mikheyev. Afghanistan produces over 90% of all opium in the world. According to the UN, the death toll from opiates in NATO countries is five times more than all the NATO soldiers who died in Afghanistan since 2001. In Russia, the government says Afghan heroin kills more people in just one year than the whole ten-year-long Soviet military campaign in Afghanistan did. The USSR’s decade in the country resulted in the loss of approximately 15,000 troops. According to Rashid Abdullo, an independent political analyst and the author of dozens of articles about Tajikistan, the flow of drugs is unlikely to stop no matter how strong the border is. “This problem may have various technical solutions. But it will never be fully solved while there is fighting in Afghanistan and global demand for opiates,” said Abdullo. Afghan opium production has grown by a third since the US-led invasion in 2001. It is thought the billion dollar black market brings more money than all foreign investments put together. That is why it is unlikely that even the most advanced border-control system possible would solve the problem completely; for the smugglers, business is simply too good. Aleksandr Selivanov from the Moscow State University for the Humanities believes that there is no way to resolve the situation in Afghanistan without improving the security situation. “It’s not possible to do so because there is currently no stability, and if there is no stability, there is no control,”Selivanov told RT. “A way out could be just building the ring of security and stability with the help of all stake holders in the region, in Central Asia. Mainly, it’s Russia, it’s Afghanistan, it’s Pakistan, and of course it should be, in a way, Iran, [as well as] Tajikistan.” “I don’t think [it is possible to solve the problem by just destroying the poppy fields], because opium makes 52% of the Afghan GDP, and in the heroin market its record is 92% of the world market, so the whole economy is based on the drug market,” Selivanov noted.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact:dtnnews@ymail.com

DTN News: Iran Tops US Terror List

DTN News: Iran Tops US Terror List

Source: DTN News / The Jerusalem Post - By Hilary Leila Krieger

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - August 8, 2010: Iran has remained the “most active” state sponsor of terrorism, according to the 2009 US annual terrorism report released last week.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday questioned the death toll in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, saying there was no evidence that 3,000 people were killed, according to Reuters.

The US report reads, “Iran’s financial, material and logistic support for terrorist and militant groups throughout the Middle East and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf and undermined the growth of democracy.

“Iran remained the principal supporter of groups that are implacably opposed to the Middle East peace process,” the report continued, highlighting the role of the Quds Force – the external operations branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – as the regime’s primary for cultivating and supporting terrorists abroad.

The report points to the Islamic Republic’s provision of weapons, training and funding to Palestinian groups including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

In addition, Teheran has provided “hundreds of millions of dollars” to support and train Hizbullah, including hosting thousands of the group’s fighters at training camps in Iran.

The report also notes that “while Israel remained vulnerable to rocket and mortar attacks launched from inside Gaza, it continued to be largely successful in confronting the threat posed by suicide bombers and rockets from the Palestinian territories.”

It also cited Israel’s transfer to the Palestinian Authority of control of territory in the West Bank as security conditions allowed.

Overall, terrorist attacks dropped worldwide by about 6 percent, which corresponded to a 5% decrease in death from such attacks. More than 15,700 people were killed by terrorists in 2009.

More attacks took place in South Asia than in the Middle East, the first time that’s occurred since the reports began to be compiled. Congress mandated the annual terror report following the attacks of September 11, 2001. “In South Asia, incident totals have crept up, so that for the first year, since we’ve been doing this at least, South Asia has proven to be more violent than the Middle East, [and] the rest of the world basically flat,” National Counterterrorism Center Deputy Director Russ Travers told reporters on Thursday after the report was released. “In the Middle East, what we’ve seen over the last three or four years is a pretty substantial decline in total number of incidents.”

Ahmadinejad, in his speech on Saturday, also accused the United States of trumping up the September 11 attacks to “create and prepare public opinion” for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and said that no “Zionists” were killed in the attacks because “one day earlier they were told not go to their workplace.”

Ahmadinejad has previously denied the September 11 attacks, calling them “a big fabrication.”

Ahmaedinejad said, “They announced that 3,000 people were killed in this incident, but there were no reports that reveal their names. Maybe you saw that, but I did not.

“What was the story of September 11? During five to six days, and with the aid of the media, they created and prepared public opinion so that everyone considered an attack on Afghanistan and Iraq as [their] right,” he said in the televised speech, Reuters reported.

The Iranian president also repeated his denial of the Holocaust.

**Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report & link....click here

RELATED: *US releases 2009 terror report *US adds more names to Iran terror list

*'Era of discrimination is ending' Press TV *Ahmadinejad slams West's instrumental use of media Tehran Times *AFP - National Post - The Associated Press - Reuters Africa

DTN News: Technology TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ US Testing System To Beat Web Censorship In China And Iran

DTN News: Technology TODAY August 15, 2009 ~ US Testing System To Beat Web Censorship In China And Iran

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) BOSTON, USA - August 15, 2009: The US government is covertly testing technology in China and Iran that will allow citizens to by-pass internet censorship set up by their governments.

The Telegraph quoted a senior official at the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent US government agency, as saying :

"We have people testing it in China and Iran." Ken Berman, the Board's IT chief, however,provided few details on the new system, which is in the early stages of testing.

He said some secrecy was important to avoid detection by the two governments.

The Internet has become a powerful tool for citizens in countries where governments regularly censor news media, enabling them to learn about and react to major social and political events.

"We don't make any political statement about what people visit. We are trying to impart the value. The more you know, the better. People can look for themselves," Berman said.

In addition to China and Iran, targets for the FOE technology include Myanmar, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, he said.

Berman, however, said there would be modest filtering of pornography on the system. "There is a limit to how much (U.S.) taxpayers should have to pay for," he said.

DTN News: Dushanbe Four Takes On Afghan Issue

DTN News: Dushanbe Four Takes On Afghan Issue *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - August 5, 2009: Judging by everything, Russia's permission to transport NATO and U.S. military cargoes via its air space has been only the beginning of the Kremlin's new policy in Afghanistan. This has been followed by the summit of the Dushanbe Four - the presidents of Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Its importance should by no means be reduced to its official objective - to discuss electricity supplies from Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. First and foremost, the summit demonstrates that on resolving the Afghan issue Moscow has ultimately abandoned its previous position of "let's wait and see how you do without us". This is a correct decision since it makes more sense to join the others and make money in the process. Furthermore, Moscow has supported Dushanbe's position on a new format for the discussion of the Afghan issue. It has done this appropriately - without disputing the authorship of the initiative or trying to become a co-author. President Dmitry Medvedev has come to appreciate the indisputable merits of the Dushanbe Four. The proposed format allows all of its participants to partake of the enormous cash flow earmarked by the wealthy part of the international community - G8, G20 and so on - for resolving the region's economic and social problems. Incidentally, the projects carried out jointly by Russia and Tajikistan, for instance CASA-1000 to build a regional power transmission line worth $680 million, is a good example of international crossborder projects. This line will make it possible to transfer electricity surplus to Kabul and north-western regions of Pakistan in summer time. But this is not the main point. Principally, the format of the Four will allow them to discuss all major regional problems - from developing economic cooperation to countering drug trafficking and terrorism, which are a headache for both Russia and Tajikistan. Afghanistan could benefit from contacts and cooperation with its eastern neighbor Pakistan. Kabul has been continuously raising the problem of the open border, which allows the Taliban to find refuge on the Pakistani side. This problem can also be resolved in the format of the Four. It goes without saying that Tajikistan is interested in creating the Dushanbe Four format, all the more so since Tehran, Dushanbe's traditional rival in Afghanistan, has already held two trilateral summits - Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan and Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan. Tehran's intentions are very clear. It wants to become the regional leader in resolving the Afghan issue, and for this reason the appearance of the Dushanbe Four has been good for Tajikistan. As for Pakistan, Islamabad has long expressed its readiness for closer cooperation with Moscow on resolving regional issues, particularly issues like Afghanistan. The only sensitive question that may come up is Islamabad's request to Moscow to supply the Pakistani army with helicopters, aircraft, and other hardware. Needless to say, such a request will be justified by the need to modernize the army and to counter new regional challenges. Finally, at the all-Afghan forum of the Afghan diaspora, Afghan MPs, politicians and experts have made a big step forward toward Russia. They stopped attributing the social crisis in Afghanistan to foreign factors, which traditionally included the Soviet involvement. In other words, they stopped linking all Afghan troubles to foreign influence and started looking for the main reasons behind them on the domestic scene. It was noted at the forum that the war in Afghanistan is putting regional cooperation to the top of the list of priorities, and that it is time Russia played a befitting role in this respect. Moscow has made an adequate response by supporting Dushanbe's initiative.

DTN News: Pak-Afghan-Tajik Axis To Combat Terror

DTN News: Pak-Afghan-Tajik Axis To Combat Terror

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - July 30, 2009: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan Thursday vowed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism and organized crime and also strengthen their trade, energy and communication ties. Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, Tajikistan's President Imomali Rakhmon, Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai pose for a snapshot in Dushanbe July 30, 2009. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan agreed to coordinate efforts in their fight against Islamist violence which has threatened to spill over into the broader Central Asia region. Medvedev arrived in Tajikistan on Thursday to meet the trio. Agreement on this came at a trilateral meeting between Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon at Varzob, a picturesque tourist resort some 40 km from here, APP news agency reported. The three leaders, who also signed a joint declaration, discussed the prospects of further promoting friendly ties and cooperating on regional and international issues. Today we will write another page in the history of the region and bring the concept of regional ownership to the war in Afghanistan, Zardari said at a joint press stakeout with the other two leaders after the meeting. We stand together and will face all eventualities, Zardari added, pointing to the threats terrorists posed to national interests. The three countries agreed that terrorism was a regional phenomenon that necessitated a comprehensive, concerted and coordinated approach with full participation of the states and local communities. Militancy, separatism, extremism and organized crimes undermine regional peace and stability and pose a threat to the security of all regional states, a joint declaration signed by the three presidents said. Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan declare their readiness to cooperate in effectively addressing the menace of terrorism and organized crime, the declaration added.

DTN News: Russia Challenges Dollar, China Offers Loans

DTN News: Russia Challenges Dollar, China Offers Loans

*Sources: Int'l Media / AP (NSI News Source Info) YEKATERINBURG, Russia - June 16, 2009: China and Russia sought greater international clout at a summit Tuesday, with China promising a $10 billion loan to Central Asian countries, while Russia challenged the dominance of the U.S. dollar as a global reserve currency. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tajikistan President Emomali Rakhmon, seen posing for a family photo during a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, Russia, Tuesday, June 16, 2009. Russia also gave a prominent platform to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad amid massive protests in Iran over his bitterly disputed re-election and questions in the West about the vote. Chinese leader Hu Jintao said China will extend a $10 billion loan to a regional group that also includes Russia and four Central Asian states. The move adds muscle to China's role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a six-nation group Russia and China use to counter the Western influence in resource-rich, strategically placed Central Asia. The other members of the organization Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The leaders of Afghanistan, Iran, India and Pakistan were also at the table, underscoring Russia and China's reach for regional clout and global influence. Hu said the loan is intended to shore up the struggling economies of its members amid the global financial crisis. Meanwhile, President Dmitry Medvedev pushed his call for new global reserve currencies to complement the dollar at the summit. "No currency system can be successful if we have financial instruments denominated in just one currency," Medvedev said. "We must strengthen the international financial system not only by making the dollar strong, but also by creating other reserve currencies." After wrapping up the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization meetings, Medvedev was to host later Tuesday the first full-fledged summit of emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India and China, collectively called BRIC. Medvedev's economic adviser Arkady Dvorkovich said Russia may put part of its currency reserves in bonds issued by Brazil, China and India. He told a briefing that Russia could make the move if the other three BRIC members reciprocate as part of efforts to diversify financial instruments. Dvorkovich also proposed revising the way the International Monetary Fund's obligations are valued. He said the ruble, the yuan and gold should be part of a revised basket of currencies to form the valuation of the IMF's special drawing rights, or SDRs. Dvorkovich denied any rift on the global currency issue with Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, who this week helped the dollar rebound in global markets by saying over the weekend that the dollar's status as the world's main reserve currency wasn't likely to change soon. Dvorkovich said that the emergence of new reserve currencies would be a gradual process reflecting shifts in the global economy. "It can't happen fast, new reserve currencies emerge as economies of the countries issuing them gain strength," he said. "Least of all now we need shocks at the currency markets," he said. "Any additional shocks are bad during the crisis. No one wants to bring the dollar down." He added, however, that the creation of new reserve currencies should help distribute global wealth more fairly and also encourage economic leaders to pursue a more balanced economic policy. The talk about the new global currency has been prompted by concerns in China and Russia that soaring U.S. budget deficits could spur inflation and weaken the dollar, debasing the value of their holdings. "If we have more reserve currencies, we will be able to insist and even demand a more responsible approach by countries which issued the global currencies," Dvorkovich said. "Those who issue reserve currencies today don't always take the interests of the global economy into account." Officials from Russia, China and Brazil have said in recent weeks that they would invest in bonds issued by the International Monetary Fund to diversify their dollar-heavy currency reserves. China is Washington's biggest foreign creditor, holding an estimated $1 trillion in U.S. government debt. The Treasury Department on Monday said that foreigners, including China and Japan, the two biggest buyers of U.S. government debt, cut their Treasury holdings in April. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the BRIC summit was "not an attempt to compete with anyone." While BRIC members share a desire to play a bigger role in creating a new global financial order and counterbalancing the West and Japan, their often contradictory interests would make forging a common policy a difficult task. China and India have sizable labor resources, while Russia and Brazil are rich in natural resources. China is a major consumer of natural resources, unlike Russia and Brazil, which are top producers. While China wants lower oil prices, Russia and Brazil would seek higher oil prices. Chinese leader Hu Jintao says China will extend a $10 billion loan to a regional group that also includes Russia and four Central Asian states. The move adds muscle to China's role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which it dominates along with Russia. Hu spoke at a summit of the grouping in Russia. He said the loan is intended to shore up the struggling economies of its members amid the global financial crisis. The Shanghai group includes impoverished Tajikistan. Kyrgyzstan, which borders China, also is poor and has few lucrative resources.

DTN News: CSTO To Hold Large-Scale Joint Military Drills In Aug.-Sept.

DTN News: CSTO To Hold Large-Scale Joint Military Drills In Aug.-Sept.

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - June 4, 2009: The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will conduct joint military exercises in August-September in Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, the Belarusian defense minister said on Wednesday. The defense ministers of the post-Soviet security bloc comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan held a regular meeting in Moscow on June 3. "The joint drills will be held in Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus to practice the deployment of CSTO's joint rapid-reaction force," Leonid Maltsev told reporters after the meeting. He said the exercises in Belarus will also involve the Russia-Belarus joint military grouping created within the framework of the CSTO. According to media reports, Russia is planning to build a strong military contingent in Central Asia within the CSTO comparable to NATO forces in Europe. The new force will comprise large military units from five countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Russia already has joint military contingents with Belarus and Armenia in as part of CSTO cooperation.

Chinese Defense Chief Due To Arrive On Moscow Visit

Chinese Defense Chief Due To Arrive On Moscow Visit

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - April 25, 2009: The Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie is due to arrive in Moscow on Saturday, Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement. Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie, right, meets U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead in Qingdao, China's Shandong Province, Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of its navy on April 23. During his visit, which is at the invitation of Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Liang will attend a defense minister's meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization starting on April 28. "As part of the visit program the head of China's military is also due to meet the commander of the Northern Caucasus Military District, visit the 20th Motorized Rifle Brigade and the Stalingrad memorial museum in Volgograd," the defense ministry said. Serdyukov and Liang will also discuss bilateral military cooperation at talks on April 28. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a regional security organization comprising Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Russian Attack Aircraft To Join Military Drills In Kyrgyzstan

Russian Attack Aircraft To Join Military Drills In Kyrgyzstan

(NSI News Source Info) BISHKEK - April 25, 2009: Russian Su-25 Frogfoot close air support aircraft will take part on Saturday in the active phase of the military exercises conducted by Kyrgyzstan's Armed Forces, the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry said. The Sukhoi Su-25 is a single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. It was designed to provide close air support for the Soviet Ground Forces. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 22 February 1975. After testing, the aircraft went into series production in 1978 at Tbilisi in the Soviet Republic of Georgia. NATO assigned the new aircraft the reporting name "Frogfoot". Russian pilots nicknamed it "Grach" ("Rook"). Kyrgyzstan is holding Security-2009 tactical exercises in the south of the country, which involve over 500 servicemen, armored vehicles self-propelled artillery and aircraft. The exercises with live-firing drills are aimed at practicing counterterrorism operations. "A flight of Su-25 attack aircraft from the Kant airbase and Kyrgyz Air Force Mi-24 helicopters will provide aerial fire support during the drills, the ministry said in a statement. The Russian base in Kant, about 20 miles west of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, was established in October 2003, and currently deploys about 400 troops, including 250 officers and NCOs and 150 conscripts, as well as several Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft and Su-27 Flanker fighters, two Mi-8 combat transport helicopters, and four L-39 combat trainers. The 2003 bilateral agreement between Russia and Kyrgyzstan stipulates the presence of the Kant air base in the Central Asian republic for 15 years with an automatic extension every five years after the expiration of the original term. The Kant base is intended to provide air cover for possible operations by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) joint forces in Central Asia. The CSTO comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Earlier this year, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev issued a decree to close the only U.S. base in Central Asia, located at Manas international airport near the capital, Bishkek, following talks in Moscow when he reportedly secured more than $2 billion in aid and loans. Both Russia and Kyrgyzstan have denied any link between the aid deal and the closure of the U.S. base.

Pakistan Seeking Membership Of SCO Regional Security Group

Pakistan Seeking Membership Of SCO Regional Security Group

(NSI News Source Info) Moscow - March 30, 2009: Pakistan is seeking full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) a regional security group, the Pakistani Foreign Minister told an international conference in Moscow on Friday. "I hope that one day we will be invited to join this organization," Shah Mehmood Qureshi said. The SCO regional security group comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Russia took over the presidency of the organization last August. Iran, India, Mongolia and Pakistan have observer status. The SCO is currently holding an international conference in Moscow, to discuss the "situation in Afghanistan and its influence on neighboring states." Talking about Afghanistan, the minister said it was necessary to start a new page in the country's history as the Afghan population deserves peace, progress, economic recovery and development, which he said he thought was "achievable" with long-term participation by the international community. He added that Russia and China could play a key role in improving the situation in the impoverished state. The conference is being attended by foreign ministers and high-level diplomats from SCO member and observer states, as well as Afghanistan, the U.S., and Turkey. The UN Secretary General, and heads from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) are also taking part in the event.

Russia Ready To Help With U.S.-Iran Meeting At Moscow Conference

Russia Ready To Help With U.S.-Iran Meeting At Moscow Conference

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - March 27, 2009: Russia is not aware of any plans for U.S. and Iranian diplomats to meet in Moscow on the sidelines of a conference on Afghanistan on Friday, but it is ready to help arrange such a meeting, the Foreign Ministry said. "We have no such information, but if such an intention is announced, Russia as the host country is ready to provide any assistance that may be necessary," official ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said on Thursday. The international conference on Afghanistan is to focus on efforts to counter terrorism and drug trafficking in the war-ravaged Central Asian state. The conference will be held under the aegis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a security group that comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Nesterenko said the U.S. delegation at the conference would be led by Patrick Moon, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, and the Iranian delegation would be led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Akhondzadeh. He said talks between U.S. and Iranian officials would "help ease tension around Iran as well as the situation in the region as a whole." The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said it had no information about a possible meeting between Iranian and American diplomats in Moscow. Russia has welcomed Washington's moves toward engagement with Tehran under President Barack Obama, including a video message of congratulations on the Iranian New Year. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last Friday that it was "important for us that the new [U.S.] administration is making advances to Tehran." The first direct talks between senior U.S. and Iranian officials in almost 30 years were held in Baghdad last May, when the two countries' ambassadors to Iraq held talks strictly limited to the situation in the country.

CSTO Rapid-Reaction Force To Hold Exercises In Kazakhstan In Fall

CSTO Rapid-Reaction Force To Hold Exercises In Kazakhstan In Fall

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - March 18, 2009: The joint rapid-reaction forces of a post-Soviet regional security bloc will hold military exercises in September in Kazakhstan, the Russian defense minister said on Tuesday. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, agreed in early February to set up the rapid-reaction force. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said later on Tuesday that the force should be well-organized and equipped to counter a variety of threats. "These are units that we should be able to rely on in dealing with the most difficult problems, including terrorist and military threats," he said. The Russian president also said the CSTO was open for cooperation with the United States in the fight against terrorism in Central Asia. The rapid-reaction force, which Medvedev has said "will be just as good as comparable NATO forces," will be used to repulse military aggression, conduct anti-terrorist operations, fight transnational crime and drug trafficking, and neutralize the effects of natural disasters. Moscow has stressed that collective forces will not interfere in the domestic conflicts of the bloc's member countries.

Obama Administration Must Learn Lessons Of Manas

Obama Administration Must Learn Lessons Of Manas

(NSI News Source Info) March 16, 2009: Once Kyrgyzstan succumbed to Russian pressure and unceremoniously evicted the United States from its base at Manas, media attention turned to the question of alternatives. A careful discussion of possible alternatives to Manas requires that a distinction be made between routes for non-military logistics, and facilities from which military missions can and do take place. When these two issues are separated, it becomes clear that alternative solutions for the shipment of non-lethal item bound for Afghanistan have been found. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan are all cooperating with the United States in the opening of a new supply network. The fact that Russia is also participating in this northern supply network suggests that Moscow wanted to make a geopolitical point with the Manas eviction.

The Kremlin wanted to ensure that Manas never developed into a permanent US hub in Central Asia, while at the same time showing the leaders of Central Asian states who’s still the region’s dominant player. Whether or not this message has been properly received remains unclear. But outside observes of the US campaign and the Central Asian scene need to properly understand Moscow’s motives in this episode. There has been a lot of media speculation about possible alternative sites for a US military base in Central Asia. This author has heard of four such examples to date. One view being bandied about suggests that the Manas case is not closed, and that the United States could retain its military presence in Kyrgyzstan -- if Washington were to enter into a grand bargain with Moscow.

Under such a scenario, US leaders would make concessions, such as abandoning its anti-missile defense plans for Central Europe, or NATO enlargement for Ukraine and Georgia, in return for Moscow’s consent to the continuing presence of US forces at Manas. This is highly unlikely as no US administration, Democratic or Republican, would surrender its options to Moscow in such a fashion. To do so would be to explicitly acknowledge Moscow’s hegemony over the CIS. Thus, talk about a possible bargain on Manas is probably nothing more than disinformation, or a Kremlin attempt at keeping pressure on the Obama administration. A second view, reported in the Turkish press, is that the United States may use bases in Turkey to substitute for Manas, particularly at Trabzon. Apart from the unlikelihood of the US seeing this option as appealing, it seems highly improbable that the Turkish government would assent to such a base, given the current state of Turkish-US relations. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent visit to Turkey was widely hailed as a turning point, in which bilateral ties turned away from the mutual tension that characterized much of the Bush administration years. But there’s still ways to go before relations are restored to pre-Iraq War II levels. Public hostility in Turkey toward the United States remains strong. A third alternative that is floating around is a potential US base in Tajikistan. This too seems to be beyond plausible. Despite Dushanbe’s unhappiness with Russia on several fronts, the Tajik government is economically on its knees.

Even though Moscow has reneged on many of its earlier promises of assistance to Dushanbe, the Tajik government simply can’t afford to alienate the Kremlin. It’s worth keeping in mind that not only Russia, but also China, Iran and possibly some neighboring Central Asian states would put the squeeze on Dushanbe, if it seemed that Tajik President Imomali Rahmon was seriously considering making a base available to the Americans. This leaves the fourth possibility, Uzbekistan. The country’s president, Islam Karimov, has long been a master at bouncing back and forth between the West and Moscow to gain security benefits from each side. Thus, he has been able to keep a base open at Termez for use by Germany and NATO personnel, while still being considered a strategic ally of Moscow’s. US personnel are allowed to use the Termez base only under strict conditions where they function exclusively as part of a NATO operation.

Reportedly, US soldiers can fly via Termez, but only on German aircraft. Therefore, it is unlikely that Termez can become a substitute for Manas. While Karimov clearly intends to keep his Western and American options open to the greatest possible degree, it is also clear that with regard to military bases, those options are inherently limited. Thus, it would seem at present that there is no viable alternative to Manas for the United States in Central Asia. As a result, refueling operations will likely have to shift to bases in the Gulf region. This will add costs to the war effort and mean additional wear-and-tear on air crews. But these added burdens are clearly not enough to drive the US out of the theater. As long as non-military cargoes can traverse Central Asian states and Russia too, it appears that the logistical chain through Central Asia is sustainable. Even so, it is necessary for the Obama administration to learn from this episode. Washington cannot accept a situation where Russia can bully, bribe and coerce the nations of Central Asia into going along with the Kremlin’s nefarious intentions. It must be a hallmark of US policy to enhance the freedom of local governments, providing them with the ability to make their own unfettered decisions on security matters.

To enable this, Washington must be prepared to invest heavily in Central Asian states. While at present there are no military alternatives to Manas in the region, an intelligent and far-sighted regional US policy must come to understand that if Central Asia is to be secure, it must be able to stand on its own two feet and not rely on Moscow’s crutches. Editor's Note: Stephen Blank is a professor at the US Army War College. The views expressed this article do not in any way represent the views of the US Army, Defense Department or the US Government.

Russian Munitions In Smuggling Case Listed As Metal - Source

Russian Munitions In Smuggling Case Listed As Metal - Source

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - March 6, 2009: Russian military officials tried to smuggle 30 anti-submarine missiles and 200 aviation bombs via Tajikistan to China under the guise of nonferrous metal deliveries, a law enforcement source said on Friday. Russia's chief military prosecutor said in late February that a criminal investigation had been launched against a group of Russian Navy officials and a number of businessmen suspected of attempting to smuggle naval munitions worth a total of $18 million to Tajikistan for sale to China. "According to investigators, all the munitions were transported by rail and listed in customs declarations as non-ferrous scrap metal," the source said. Some media reports earlier said high-ranking Navy officials, including vice admirals and rear admirals, may have been involved in the scheme. Under the scheme, the munitions were reportedly 'destroyed' and a commercial firm received over 1.6 million rubles ($45,000) from the federal budget for the work. In reality, the bombs and missiles were prepared for sale and smuggled abroad, the source said. Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said the smuggling operation was prevented by "the Navy, in conjunction with the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Security Service (FSB)." Police and military investigators have also launched a wave of probes at various ammunition storage facilities in Russia to uncover other possible cases of arms smuggling.

Ex-Soviet States Plan Joint Air Defense Drills Aug. 7- Sept. 18

Ex-Soviet States Plan Joint Air Defense Drills Aug. 7- Sept. 18

(NSI News Source Info) ASTANA - March 4, 2009: Members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will conduct joint air defense exercises from August 7 until September 18, the first deputy commander of Russia's Air Force said on Wednesday. "The biennial Combat Commonwealth exercises will be held from August 7 until September 18," Vadim Volkovidsky told a news conference following a meeting of the coordinating committee for air defense under the CIS council of defense ministers. He specified that the exercises would be held in several stages and on the territory of each member state. The CIS, a loose alliance of former Soviet states, comprises Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Ukraine is a founding and participating country, but technically not a member state. Turkmenistan holds associate status. An integrated air defense network was set up by 10 CIS member countries on February 10, 1995. The main purpose of the network is to ensure the protection of the member-countries' airspace, early warning of missile attacks and coordination of joint efforts to neutralize potential air threats.

Kazakhstan, Russia Sign Contract On S-300 Air Defense Systems

Kazakhstan, Russia Sign Contract On S-300 Air Defense Systems

(NSI News Source Info) ASTANA - March 4, 2009: Kazakhstan has signed a contract with Russia on the purchase of S-300 air defense missile systems, the Kazakh defense minister said on Wednesday. "We have recently signed a contract with Russia and are buying S-300 systems," Danial Akhmetov said. Last month, Kazakhstan announced plans to equip 10 battalions with S-300 air defense missile systems bought from Russia, with deliveries to begin in 2009. The latest version of the S-300 family is the S-300PMU2 Favorit, which has a range of up to 195 kilometers (about 120 miles) and can intercept aircraft and ballistic missiles at altitudes from 10 meters to 27 kilometers. It is considered one of the world's most effective all-altitude regional air defense systems, comparable in performance to the U.S. MIM-104 Patriot system. Russia announced last year it was planning to expand military-technical cooperation with members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and set up an integrated air defense network with them. The CSTO is a post-Soviet security grouping comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Akhmetov said in mid-February that the delivery of S-300 systems "would help the republic's integration into the CSTO and significantly enhance the protection of the country's airspace."

Russia Busts Gang Stealing Arms For China / How China Steals U.S. Military Secrets

Russia Busts Gang Stealing Arms For China / How China Steals U.S. Military Secrets

A spate of recent spying cases opens the lid on China's aggressive military buildup. What's most troubling: It is based largely on U.S. technology. How China Steals U.S. Military Secrets

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - February 28, 2009: The continuing deadlock over new arms deals between Russia and China has led to a remarkable development: Russian security services are investigating a suspected plot to steal Russian weapons and sell them to Beijing. RIA Novosti reported Wednesday that a number of Russian navy officers were under investigation for allegedly trying to ship 30 anti-submarine missiles and 200 bombs, worth a total of $18 million, to Tajikistan for eventual delivery to China. The Kremlin is taking the allegations very seriously. Russia's chief military prosecutor, Sergei Fridinsky, told RIA Novosti a criminal investigation had started on the case. He said the naval officers had been working with several businessmen. The report gave no indication whether any of the powerful, super-wealthy Russian organized crime families were involved. The targeted weapons do not appear to have been state-of-the-art or strategically significant, at least according to the report. Russian navy spokesman Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo described them to the news agency as "decommissioned, recycled ammunition." Dygalo stated that the plot had been foiled by "the navy, in conjunction with the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Security Service."

However, RIA Novosti gave a tantalizing hint that the plot, and the existence of organized criminality within the Russian navy, may have gone far higher. It cited what it described as "some media reports" as claiming that very senior Russian naval officers, up to the rank of several vice admirals and rear admirals, may have been implicated.

U.S. May Look At Turkey Following Kyrgyz Base Closure

U.S. May Look At Turkey Following Kyrgyz Base Closure

(NSI News Source Info) ANKARA - February 21, 2009: Washington may look at setting up a military base in the Black Sea city of Trabzon in Turkey as an alternative to the Kyrgyz base which is due to close later this year, a Turkish newspaper said on Friday. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed on Friday a decree to close the U.S. base used for the past eight years to support NATO operations in nearby Afghanistan.

The United States will have 180 days to withdraw some 1,200 personnel, aircraft and other equipment from the Manas airbase. Turkey's pro-government Yeni Safak, citing an unofficial U.S. source, reported that Washington could turn to Turkey as an alternative location for the military base should the U.S. get a negative response from two other Central Asian states, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. "If the Tajik and Uzbek variants do not work, then the next in line will be Turkey's Black Sea coast [in] Trabzon," the newspaper reported. The decision to close the Kyrgyz base comes as U.S. President Barack Obama announced he will send an additional 17,000 soldiers to Afghanistan to fight Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents. The move will increase the U.S. contingent to more than 50,000 personnel. Russia, which has an airbase in Kant, a short distance from the U.S. base at Manas, recently said it was ready to broaden cooperation with Washington on non-military supplies to Afghanistan via the "northern corridor," which is likely to cross Russia into Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before entering northern Afghanistan. The Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. David Petraeus, who is currently in Central Asia, may visit Turkey in the near future to discuss the issue, the newspaper said. The U.S. Air Force has been deployed at an airbase in Turkey's southern city of Incirlik since the signing of a joint agreement in 1954. The NATO base is currently home to the United States' 39th Air Base Wing and some 5,000 U.S. service personnel.

U.S. Looking For New Air Base To Supply Forces In Afghanistan

U.S. Looking For New Air Base To Supply Forces In Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - February 18, 2009: Wanted a large airport in Central Asia, preferably a former Soviet air base. With the clock ticking for the United States to close Manas Air Base in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the Pentagon is scrambling to find an alternative. The aircraft deployed by the U.S. Air Force at Manas are primarily military cargo planes, aerial tankers for in-flight refueling and smaller aircraft to ferry supplies to troops on combat missions. The Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle provides close air support for the troops. It flies out of Bagram Air Base inside Afghanistan. The Boeing F-18 Hornet, a carrier-based multirole fighter jet, is capable of hitting aerial and ground targets. It carries out missions of reconnaissance, air escort and defense, close air support and interdiction.

A ground staff directs a C-130 Hercules at Manas Air Base near Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan is delaying a decision on whether to close the last U.S. airbase in Central Asia while it bargains with both the United States and Russia, the leader of the main opposition faction in parliament said on Friday. However, Manas' long runway is perfect for the large military transport aircraft Boeing C-17 Globemaster, designed for rapid airlift of troops and cargoes as well as emergency medical evacuation and airdrop missions to and from the military bases or battle sites around the globe. Later, the U.S. Air Force added the aerial refueling tanker aircraft Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker to the Manas contingent. On Feb. 3 Kyrgyzstan announced it would close Manas for NATO operations. The base has provided key logistical support to NATO's Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan since 2001, when Kyrgyzstan granted the coalition forces unrestricted overflight rights for humanitarian, combat and rescue missions. Some 1,200 military personnel, mainly Americans, are stationed in Manas. Moreover, the base would have been a vital hub to implement the planned 30,000-troop increase of deployed forces under U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to expand operations in Afghanistan. Likely to lose Manas, Washington is seeking alternative options for the northern transit route. The United States is negotiating with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to secure access to their railway networks for shipping supplies to Afghanistan. Tajikistan opened its airspace and territory for the transit of commercial and humanitarian cargo. Yet it is rather challenging to deliver large volumes of cargo to Tajikistan itself, which is lacking military infrastructure and is dependent on Russia for security support and economic aid. Turkmenistan, with a large air base in Mary (also known as Merv) only 24 miles from the Iranian border, is another interesting option. But the country is traditionally neutral, and the Iranians may blow a stack if a massive U.S. Air Force presence appears on their doorstep. However, if the Obama administration's outreach to Iran succeeds, that may change. The United States may be able to return to the airports of Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan. It was evicted from there in 2005 under combined Russo-Chinese pressure and a successful influence operation targeting Uzbek President Islam Karimov. Some equipment also could be moved from Manas to Almaty, Kazakhstan. The United States could also use it for emergency landing. However, the states have not offered to host NATO on any permanent basis, and Almaty is considered too far. Washington may also try to renegotiate Manas, but this will depend on Russia's goodwill. The Pentagon also has the very expensive option of supplying the troops by air from Qatar and Kuwait, where the United States has air bases, but be as it may, the Manas eviction note puts the "Northern supply route" for Afghanistan in jeopardy, thanks to Russia's hard-nosed practice of geopolitical arts.