Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BISHKEK1407
2006-10-03 07:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bishkek
Cable title:
Local Media Reaction to Incident at Manas Airport
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 001407
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND SCA/PPD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO KG
SUBJECT: Local Media Reaction to Incident at Manas Airport
BISHKEK 00001407 001.2 OF 002
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 001407
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND SCA/PPD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO KG
SUBJECT: Local Media Reaction to Incident at Manas Airport
BISHKEK 00001407 001.2 OF 002
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
1. (SBU) Summary: Local media reaction to the September 26
incident involving a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker and a Kyrgyz
Airlines TU-135 has largely been restrained, by local
standards. Some outlets have played up the fact that the
Kyrgyz plane involved in the accident occasionally
transports President Bakiyev. Some outlets have placed the
blame with the U.S., but most have kept reporting largely
factual. End Summary.
2. (U) Pro-government Vechernyi Bishkek, the largest paper
in Kyrgyzstan, has published diagrams of the accident and
has confined its reporting to facts. The paper interviewed
a passenger on the TU-154 who said that at the time of
impact, the plane "shook, as if a car hit a hole at high
speed." The passenger reported that stewards began serving
soft drinks, and it was only when the plane returned to the
airport did the passengers realize what had happened.
3. (U) Pro-government Komsomolskaya Pravda, which publishes
news from both Russia and Kyrgyzstan, interviewed a TU-154
pilot who happened to be at Manas airport at the time of the
accident. The pilot described the factual detail of the
incident, but adding the detail that the runway at Manas has
a large bump in it, limiting pilot's vision. Opposite the
article written in Bishkek, a similar article written from
Russia appeared. The only real difference between the two
was that the Russia-based article was shorter.
4. (U) Pro-government MSN reported that a governmental
commission has been formed to study the incident. While the
paper also reports the facts of the accident, it also quotes
a local non-governmental organization that calls on the
leaders of Kyrgyzstan to "reconsider in the shortest term"
the agreement between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Manas
Airbase in order to "maximize" the safety of the citizens of
the country.
5. (U) Pro-government Obshestvenniy Reyting also largely
reported the same facts reported elsewhere, but praised the
skill of the pilots of the TU-154 in ensuring that there
were no injuries or loss of life during this incident.
6. (U) Pro-government Slovo Kyrgyzstana also reported the
facts of the incident accurately. However, the paper also
declared on September 29 that the crew of the KC-135 were at
fault in the incident. Slovo Kyrgyzstana also quotes Manas
Airbase Commander COL Reese that the U.S. and Kyrgyzstan are
going to conduct separate but parallel investigations of the
incident.
7. (U) The new anti-American Megapolice newspaper also
declares that the American pilot was at fault for the
incident. The paper quotes the Director of the Civil
Aviation Department saying that the air traffic controllers
were not at fault. He also goes on to say that recordings
of conversations between the planes and the controllers are
being transcribed. In another article, a writer claims that
fuel dumping by pilots based at Manas Airbase is continuing.
The writer says that 35 people have been poisoned by eating
mushrooms tainted by fuel, with six children having died.
8. (U) In opposition Belyi Parohod, an article appears about
how American pilots regularly disobey the directions of the
Kyrgyz air traffic controllers. They cite an example of an
American pilot being denied permission to land, but landing
anyway. In another case, they cite a time when an American
plane stopped on the runway and turned off all external
lights theorizing that it was done to "check the nerves of
the controllers."
9. (SBU) Comment: The relatively muted reaction of Kyrgyz
media so far has been surprising. The media here thrive on
conspiracy theories and most can find ways to blame the
BISHKEK 00001407 002.2 OF 002
United States for almost anything under the sun. To date,
reporting has largely been factual and restrained. While
some outlets have already decided who is at fault in this
incident, it would have been expected that many more would
have preordained the results of the investigation.
Unfortunately, this restraint is most likely not a sign of a
maturing media environment. More likely, this is an example
of the media echoing the restrained response of the
government. End comment.
Yovanovitch
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND SCA/PPD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO KG
SUBJECT: Local Media Reaction to Incident at Manas Airport
BISHKEK 00001407 001.2 OF 002
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
1. (SBU) Summary: Local media reaction to the September 26
incident involving a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker and a Kyrgyz
Airlines TU-135 has largely been restrained, by local
standards. Some outlets have played up the fact that the
Kyrgyz plane involved in the accident occasionally
transports President Bakiyev. Some outlets have placed the
blame with the U.S., but most have kept reporting largely
factual. End Summary.
2. (U) Pro-government Vechernyi Bishkek, the largest paper
in Kyrgyzstan, has published diagrams of the accident and
has confined its reporting to facts. The paper interviewed
a passenger on the TU-154 who said that at the time of
impact, the plane "shook, as if a car hit a hole at high
speed." The passenger reported that stewards began serving
soft drinks, and it was only when the plane returned to the
airport did the passengers realize what had happened.
3. (U) Pro-government Komsomolskaya Pravda, which publishes
news from both Russia and Kyrgyzstan, interviewed a TU-154
pilot who happened to be at Manas airport at the time of the
accident. The pilot described the factual detail of the
incident, but adding the detail that the runway at Manas has
a large bump in it, limiting pilot's vision. Opposite the
article written in Bishkek, a similar article written from
Russia appeared. The only real difference between the two
was that the Russia-based article was shorter.
4. (U) Pro-government MSN reported that a governmental
commission has been formed to study the incident. While the
paper also reports the facts of the accident, it also quotes
a local non-governmental organization that calls on the
leaders of Kyrgyzstan to "reconsider in the shortest term"
the agreement between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Manas
Airbase in order to "maximize" the safety of the citizens of
the country.
5. (U) Pro-government Obshestvenniy Reyting also largely
reported the same facts reported elsewhere, but praised the
skill of the pilots of the TU-154 in ensuring that there
were no injuries or loss of life during this incident.
6. (U) Pro-government Slovo Kyrgyzstana also reported the
facts of the incident accurately. However, the paper also
declared on September 29 that the crew of the KC-135 were at
fault in the incident. Slovo Kyrgyzstana also quotes Manas
Airbase Commander COL Reese that the U.S. and Kyrgyzstan are
going to conduct separate but parallel investigations of the
incident.
7. (U) The new anti-American Megapolice newspaper also
declares that the American pilot was at fault for the
incident. The paper quotes the Director of the Civil
Aviation Department saying that the air traffic controllers
were not at fault. He also goes on to say that recordings
of conversations between the planes and the controllers are
being transcribed. In another article, a writer claims that
fuel dumping by pilots based at Manas Airbase is continuing.
The writer says that 35 people have been poisoned by eating
mushrooms tainted by fuel, with six children having died.
8. (U) In opposition Belyi Parohod, an article appears about
how American pilots regularly disobey the directions of the
Kyrgyz air traffic controllers. They cite an example of an
American pilot being denied permission to land, but landing
anyway. In another case, they cite a time when an American
plane stopped on the runway and turned off all external
lights theorizing that it was done to "check the nerves of
the controllers."
9. (SBU) Comment: The relatively muted reaction of Kyrgyz
media so far has been surprising. The media here thrive on
conspiracy theories and most can find ways to blame the
BISHKEK 00001407 002.2 OF 002
United States for almost anything under the sun. To date,
reporting has largely been factual and restrained. While
some outlets have already decided who is at fault in this
incident, it would have been expected that many more would
have preordained the results of the investigation.
Unfortunately, this restraint is most likely not a sign of a
maturing media environment. More likely, this is an example
of the media echoing the restrained response of the
government. End comment.
Yovanovitch