*** Warning contains graphic images***
Where the hell is Kyrgyzstan and why should I care?
Another one of those countries that many in the west haven’t heard of and don’t know a damned thing about. It’s been in the news as of late as another country going to hell in a hand basket with its ethnic Uzbek population being used as target practice for everyone else.
This ethnic cleansing is focused primarily in an area called Osh Oblast referred to just as Osh by locals.
The ethnic violence had started ( this time) about May just after the deposed President of Kyrgyzstan’s followers started up fighting. Allegedly many of his followers are tied to “criminal gangs” to use the word’s of the government in power now. Then again almost anyone in this area of the world involved in politics are all “mobbed up”. So is this really about 2 rival gangs and their tag alongs killing each other. More than likely the old power trying to destabilize an already unstable country to discredit the new government and bring back the old to “keep the peace”. Probable, especially if one does the old Que Bono or “who profits”.
Last time this happened involved a land settlement of Uzbeks in a valley called the Ferghana Valley that had a nice river running through it. Local Kyrg’s thought this was unfair ( water rights and land rights, farming, etc) and the fighting started. However at that time there were still thousands of Soviet troops around and it took a bit but they got everyone settled down and back to what passes for normal there. Prior to that both groups had gotten along for the most part but with a large population of under 30 somethings and chronic unemployment you know it’s going to get nasty! Its seems to be the major formula for any war or ethnic clash when you have too many young men with no jobs or foreseeable future then out come the weapons and all it takes is a small spark.
The following video is from April just before the government collapsed.
Of a very interesting note this country also has a U.S. Base and a Russian one. Now what the heck is up with that you might wonder!
The U.S. Base is at Manas Airport ( Manas Air Base) about 30 klicks from the capitol Bishkek ( or 19 miles) and a few minutes flight time from Kabul in Afghanistan. Its a refueling depot for combat aircraft involved in operations there. On another note the old president of Kyrgzstan threatened to close the base down but the official story is that the U.S. upped it’s rent and got to stay. However not long afterword he was deposed, no surprise there. The lease is up for renewal in June 2010 and it will renewed.
The only time the U.S. has had any official involvement in local matters was to provide humanitarian aid to the Osh district. Otherwise the U.S. seems to have a hands off attitude and staying out of local politics ( probably a wise move!).
Reports claim that Kyrgz locals in Osh have seized military equipment and weapons and are gunning down Uzbeks. Earlier reports from people on the ground claim the military and police were partaking in the ethnic cleansing.
As for the Russians involvement its been a big nyet so far. Seems they aren’t up to committing thousands of troops necessary to help stop the violence in the south and to be realistic there is not really any gain for them to be involved. However a paratroop battalion was sent to Kant military base there in the north to protect their base there.
So again why does anyone care? Kyrgyzstan produced maybe 1 percent of former Soviet arms industries ( source- The former Soviet Union in transition- US Congress Joint Economic Commitee-1993) has maybe a gold mine and some uranium, goat cheese, some wheat….. ooops wait a minute uranium? Isnt that the stuff used to make nuclear bombs or other things that go boom? Some more digging reveals a concept called Rare Earth Elements and low and behold turns out that little Kyrgyzstan was supplying 80 percent of the Soviet Union’s REE’s from 1960-1991!!
China is also very interested in Kyrgyzstan monetarily and resource wise. Kyrgyzstan is also part of the so called Shanghai 5, officially know as the Shanghai Cooperation Collective. China is making its own version of NATO and Warsaw Pact combined in the area. China wants it pipeline to run right through the country on its way to Turkmenistan. Also the PRC have thrown allot of cash into the country for roads and infrastructure.
As usual it’s never what things seem to be on the surface in geopolitics. As Uzbekistan shuts its borders to its ethnic brothers and sisters and the U.N. sends an envoy to view the situation nobody will give a rats ass about the ethnic violence in the south.
On another related note I was watching some CNN ( just to see what crap they try to sell us now) and there was a blurb about there being “just recently found” trillions in precious minerals in Afghanistan. Give me a break, “oh while we were fighting the Al-Quieda (oops its Taliban now but thats a different story about Al-CIAda) we found out there’s gold in them thar hills”. On top of all that the talking head pukes could do was speculate on contracts being tendered on when and who is going to go in. A sad epitaph to those who went in to fight the bad guys.
Sorry folks the war had nothing to do with 9-11 it’s all a fucking sham. Even the FBI said they had no proof that tied 9-11 to Osama bin Laden the new boogey man after the commies folded like a cheap lawn chair. Of which I have no doubts, even though the bastard did a jig Im sure when the twin towers went up he never did say he had anything to do with it. If anyone would have wanted to Im sure if he did he would have bragged about it from the get go. But that doesnt sell print or unwanted wars to ignorant masses.
“Turning the potential of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth into actual revenue will take years,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Monday. “Mineral extraction, you know, faces numerous but not insurmountable challenges.”
gee thanks Crowley your a fucking genius…..