Karshi Khanabad - the Key ?

"Anyone that thinks the Andizhan massacre may kick start the overthrow of the Karimov regime needs to be aware of several facts. Despite Karimov’s horrendous human rights record, he is one of America’s closest confidants. Bush gave Karimov the pleasure of his patronage in a White house meeting in March of 2002. Donald Rumsfeld has visited Karimov in Tashkent on two recent occasions, including February 2004 when he mentioned that US-Uzbek military relations are “growing stronger every month”, adding that “We have benefited greatly in our efforts in the global war on terror and in Afghanistan from the wonderful co-operation we’ve received from the government of Uzbekistan.” With a population of 26 million a central and strategic location including border with Afghanistan and an American military airbase in Karshi Khanabad (see pic above) , Uzbekistan will always be key to the plans of the Americans and they are not about to let the simple matter of human rights abuses and the indiscriminate massacre of defenceless men, women and children get in the way of their support for Karimov. The killer of Tashkent also enjoys the support of President Putin, who jumped to the aid of Karimov over the weekend by providing specialist tactical support.

The recent overthrow of regimes such as Askar Akayev in Kyrgystan are very different to the situation Muslims are facing in Uzbekistan. The Kyrgystan “popular revolution” was more akin to a manufactured transfer of power to a new government not dissimilar to the way the US changed power in Pakistan from Nawaz Sharif to Parvaiz Musharraf. Merely, more of the same. Rumsfeld recently met the interim leaders of Kyrgystan and was “assured” that the US military would continue to use Ganci airbase near Bishek, which is used in its Afghanistan operations."

From Kalifah.com today






Antonov AN 12 Freighter - which the USAF do NOT Fly at Karshi Khanabad in a curious livery - Jet Line (?) May 2. Airman directing is a transient alert Airman and KC-10 Extender crew chief with the 416th Air Expeditionary Group's transient alert flight. He is deployed from Travis Air Force Base, Calif?