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AFP. 22 January 2002. Some 6,000 troops could be stationed in Kyrgyzstan. TASHKENT -- Some 6,000 international coalition servicemen and 50 planes could be stationed in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan for operations in nearby Afghanistan, a Kyrgyz official said Tuesday. Alisher Abdimomunov, head of a Kyrgyz committee on international affairs, said some 6,000 international coalition troops could be deployed in Kyrgyzstan together with 50 aircraft. A total of 11 countries have asked to station troops and planes in the former Soviet republic, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United States, said Abdimomunov. The Kyrgyz deputy also said that Kyrgyzstan had decided to allow France to deploy planes and servicemen in the Central Asian state before the ratification of an agreement by parliament. An accord was signed in December between the two countries for the possible deployment at Manas of six Mirage 2000 jets and two refuellers for a minimum of a year, but has yet to be ratified by parliament. The chief of the French army's general staff, Jean-Pierre Kelche, met Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev on Saturday to discuss the issue. As yet Kyrgyzstan's parliament has only ratified an accord to allow the United States to station its aircraft in the Central Asian state, including at Manas, some 35 kilometers (20 miles) outside of the capital Bishkek. According to Abdimomunov, some 500 French servicemen will begin arriving in Kyrgyzstan from January 30. US forces have already begun setting up a base at Manas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
