How they see us: Kyrgyzstan coup threatens U.S. airbase
Like the Bush administration, the Obama administration ignored the ousted leader's corruption, and the new Kyrgyz leader is disillusioned with the U.S.
For the first time, the U.S. has found itself on the wrong side of a “color revolution,” said M.K. Bhadrakumar in the Hong Kong Asia Times. When Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia, underwent the Tulip Revolution in 2005, it was seen as a pro-U.S., pro-democracy event just like the Rose Revolution in Georgia and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine—all of which overturned Russian-backed authoritarian regimes. But last week, the Kyrgyz people rose up and ousted an authoritarian regime that was backed by the U.S. The revolt began when thousands of protesters, angry about the wrecked economy and endemic government corruption, called for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to step down. After troops killed several protesters in the capital, Bishkek, broader riots broke out, overwhelming the police and military; Bakiyev fled to his villa in the south. The opposition appointed Roza Otunbayeva, a respected former foreign minister, to be acting president. She immediately thanked Russia, both for recognizing her authority and for having criticized Bakiyev’s corruption.
This all could have devastating consequences for the war in Afghanistan, said Dan McLaughlin in the Dublin Irish Times. The U.S. military relies on the Manas airbase in Kyrgyzstan to funnel troops and supplies in and out of Afghanistan. That base has long been an irritant for Moscow, which still sees Kyrgyzstan as within its sphere of influence. Last year, “under pressure from Russia, Bakiyev pledged to kick U.S. troops out of Manas,” but he changed his mind when the U.S. agreed to triple the rent it paid for use of the base. The Russians were furious. Then, a few weeks ago, when Bakiyev announced that the U.S. would build an anti-terrorism center to train Kyrgyz forces to fight insurgents, that was “the last straw for Russia.” It began reaching out to the Kyrgyz opposition.
While Russia didn’t actually engineer last week’s coup, it certainly supported it, said Simon Tisdall in the London Guardian. Russian TV stations, “not usually noted for their concern for human rights,” have been waging a propaganda campaign for weeks, criticizing Bakiyev “for corruption, nepotism, and cronyism.” Since many Kyrgyz speak Russian and watch Russian television, these broadcasts undoubtedly played a role in priming the population for an uprising. And in private meetings, Russian officials assured the Kyrgyz opposition of their diplomatic support in the event of regime change.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The U.S. is now officially on the outs—and has only itself to blame, said Paul McGeough in Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald. Like the Bush administration, the Obama administration never said a word about Bakiyev’s corruption or crackdown on opposition leaders and journalists. That silence gave the U.S. “a reputation locally as the bully backer of a corrupt and abusive leader.” The new Kyrgyz leader, Otunbayeva, was blunt in her critique of America. “You came to us to help us build democracy,” she told The Washington Post, “and then just one day, you put your hands over your mouth just to have a base.” Otunbayeva’s disillusionment with the U.S. doesn’t necessarily mean that she intends to close the Manas airbase. But one thing is clear: “Washington really needs to get its skates on if it is to catch up with Moscow in winning hearts and minds.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Is Daylight Saving Time good for the climate?
Under the Radar Scientists are split over the potential environmental benefits of the hotly contested time change
By Abby Wilson Published
-
Life in the post-truth era
Opinion The mainstream media can't hold back a tsunami of misinformation
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Magazine printables - November 8, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - November 8, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
1 of 6 'Trump Train' drivers liable in Biden bus blockade
Speed Read Only one of the accused was found liable in the case concerning the deliberate slowing of a 2020 Biden campaign bus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPB
Speed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published