U.S. Arms Cache Found in Kyrgyzstan
August 11th, 2008Via: Kommersant:
The U.S. embassy in Kyrgyzstan has found itself embroiled in scandal after the country’s interior ministry announced that a hoard of U.S.-made weapons has been found in a house in Bishkek rented by U.S. citizens. The embassy hurriedly stated that the weapons were intended for antiterrorism exercises, but Kyrgyz enforcement agencies have not confirmed that. The news is the talk of Kyrgyzstan. The prosecutor general has begun an investigation.
Local police found 53 firearms, including large-caliber guns, grenade launchers, machineguns, pistols, sniper’s rifles and more than 15,000 rounds of ammunition of various sizes. According to Kyrgyz Deputy Minister of the Interior Temirkan Subanov, there were two employees of the U.S. embassy with diplomatic immunity and ten members of the American military, allegedly in the country to train Kyrgyz special forces. “Interior Ministry staff questioned them about the weapons and ammunition to determine their purpose. We received information from residents of a new house that they were constantly moving things into and out of that house. None of the U.S. citizens were detained or arrested. All of them were simply questioned,” Subanov said.
The U.S. embassy quickly issued a statement saying that the cache was in the country with the permission and at the request of Kyrgyz authorities. The Kyrgyz Defense Ministry, State Committee for National Security, border service and national guard say that they have no training with Americans planned. Only the narcotics control agency had such plans, but they did not include weapons. Kyrgyz officials are not commenting on the situation. Observers are both pointing out reasons to be alarmed at the incident and reasoning that the United States has little motivation to create a provocation in Kyrgyzstan.
If I might add some extra context, Kyrgyzstan is a den of intrigue, oddly with both a substantial USAF logistics fleet presence at Manas (the international airport) to the northwest of the city and the Russian air force base at Kant to the east. Added to that, China is building a “land bridge” railroad through it to reach the Caspian basin, much to the alarm (allegedly) of the British-American military establishment, whose war plans had hitherto focussed on a naval blockade of shipping from the Gulf region to China.
There have also been lingering rumours emanating from Kyrgyzstan’s intelligence agency that the USAF has nuclear weapons stashed at Manas, an accusation vehemently denied by America.
Special forces.
Field armory.
Weapons cache.
Safe house.
Drop point.
False flag.
“Making” history.
Politics by other means.
Did I leave any essential ones out K?
Contestant: Let’s try “Color Revolutions” for a $1000, Alex.
Alex Trebeck: What central Asian nation was the only former Russian satellite in the Caspian Region to unsuccessfully resist the recent string of ‘coup de grace’ propaganda and infiltration exercises branded my the modern media as “color revolutions”?
C: What is Kyrgyzstan?
AT: Correct!