Washington: The political upheaval in
Kyrgyzstan has not "seriously affected" US support for its
forces in Afghanistan transiting via a US base in the Central
Asian nation, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
"Currently there are limited operations at the Manas
airfield," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
"Our support to Afghanistan continues and has not been
seriously affected," he added, saying the US military hoped to
"be able to resume full operations soon."
After a bloody people`s uprising, the country`s new
rulers today announced plans for elections and the disbanding
of parliament.
But the newly appointed interim leader Roza Otunbayeva
said the US airbase at Manas, just outside the capital
Bishkek, would remain open.
The toppled president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, has insisted he
had not resigned but admitted the army and police were not
under his control. His whereabouts were unclear, but he told
Russian radio he was in southern Kyrgyzstan and had no plans
"to leave at the moment."
PTI
