KYRGYZ PARLIAMENTARIANS WARN OF NEGATIVE AIR BASE

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SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ PARLIAMENTARIANS WARN OF NEGATIVE AIR BASE
PERCEPTIONS

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Classified By: CDA Lee Litzenberger, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Kyrgyz parliamentarians have told us that
the December 6 base shooting and other recent incidents have
led to a decline in parliament's perceptions of the U.S.
Manas air base, and continued negative public reaction to the
shooting could have an impact on U.S.-Kyrgyz relations.
Their specific points included: 1) the "secretive" base
payment mechanism, particularly in a corrupt Kyrgyz
environment; 2) the impact individual incidents have on the
"big picture;" 3) Russia's role in Kyrgyz political
developments; and 4) the importance of assistance to the
family of the deceased driver as a means of mitigating
current tensions. Each member suggested that it was
important for us to inform the public about the base's
contributions to Kyrgyzstan's security and economy. End
summary.

Negative Comments and . . .
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2. (C) In a December 19 meeting, opposition parliamentarian
Temir Sariyev claimed that the U.S. had not been responsive
to Kyrgyz concerns regarding Manas Air Base. Given his
previous support for U.S. operations in Kyrgyzstan and
Afghanistan, Sariyev was surprisingly negative about the
early December shooting incident and the base. When the
Ambassador pointed out the strategic benefits of having the
base in Kyrgyzstan, Sariyev commented that "the big picture
is made up of all the little things." He implied that
everything depended on how the public would view the steps
taken by the U.S. to resolve the shooting matter and noted
that even if press articles and blogs are false, "it's what
the public perceives to be true that matters."

Sympathetic Comments and . . .
--------------


3. (C) Deputy Speaker of Parliament Tairbek Sarpashev in a
separate December 19 meeting warned the Ambassador of growing
anxiety over the base, and he criticized certain politicians
for exploiting the shooting incident for political gain.
While he claimed that a majority of parliamentarians also
understood the U.S. position, he said there was much
misunderstanding and disinformation about the base.
Sarpashev accused President Bakiyev,s administration of
using the issue for political advantage and lambasted the
manner in which critics have "idiotically" attempted to sway
public opinion against the United States. Sarpashev pointed
out that there was no public discussion about the Russian Air
Base at Kant, despite the security concerns attributable to
its presence in Kyrgyzstan. Due to a lack of democracy in
Kyrgyzstan, said Sarpashev, Russia has been able to directly
influence Kyrgyz leaders, affecting the overall
decision-making process. Sarpashev added that having "too
little" democracy has negatively affected society's ability
to discuss issues of national importance openly and
constructively.

A Message from the For Reforms Movement
--------------


4. (C) Opposition parliamentarian Muratbek Mukashev (and
father of MFA Department for Western Countries Deputy
Director Daniyar Mukashev),who claimed to be speaking on
behalf of the opposition For Reforms movement, advised the
Ambassador January 8 that his group values and supports the
U.S. base at Manas airport. He raised, but accepted as

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settled, the decision to place the base alongside the
civilian airport. Mukashev questioned the "secretive"
handling of payments for the base and other U.S. assistance,
despite President Bakiyev's recent public assurances that
there was no corruption at senior levels of government.
Mukashev expressed doubts about the public story of Major
Metzger's disappearance, but he reserved judgment of the
December shooting incident at the base until the
investigation was completed. Mukashev did not expect the
United States to replace the Kyrgyz airliner damaged in the
September 26 collision, and seemed amenable to letting
subject matter experts work out an agreement.

Speaker Sultanov,s Views
--------------


5. (C) In a January 24 meeting with the Ambassador and
visiting Central Asian Affairs Office Director Pamela
Spratlen, Parliament Speaker Marat Sultanov raised two
issues: base payments and the base shooting incident. While
Sultanov understands that $150 million is the total amount of
U.S. assistance to Kyrgyzstan, he said the public wants to
see the $150 million as a separate line item in the budget.
In an environment of rumor and fears of embezzlement,
Sultanov argued that some information must be released
publicly to counter public perceptions and suggested
discussing this issue following his trip to the United
States. He also noted that there is confusion in government
circles regarding the exact amount being received for the
base.


6. (C) Following the early December base shooting and
subsequent negative public reaction, Sultanov said Parliament
had to respond by adopting an edict requiring reconsideration
of the status of the military personnel with the aim of
applying Kyrgyz law in the event of an incident. The
language adopted also included an "emotional, rather than a
rational" demand for a higher base payment. A parliamentary
commission headed by Defense and Security Issues Committee
Chairman (and close Bakiyev ally) Rashid Tagayev is tasked
with generating suggestions to implement the edict. Sultanov
suggested that it "would be extremely helpful if the United
States could find a way to provide assistance to the family"
of the driver in order to mitigate tension.


7. (C) Sultanov carried the same message to Washington,
raising the shooting incident and the lack of transparency of
base payments with his U.S. government interlocutors in
meetings on February 1 and 2. Sultanov said that the base
remains a major issue for the Kyrgyz public and political
elite, and thus affects U.S.-Kyrgyz bilateral relations. He
said that the U.S. approach to base problems has seemed
"legalistic," while Kyrgyz culture demands a more human
approach. He also said that the U.S. needs to be more
transparent regarding base payments.

Comment
--------------


8. (C) Individual conversations with Kyrgyz parliamentarians
regarding the U.S. air base tend to lack the shrill tone of
many statements emanating from the floor of Parliament.
However, misinformation about the investigation into the
disappearance of Maj. Metzger, the September collision with a
Kyrgyz airliner, and the December shooting, coupled with the
lack of transparency regarding base-related payments,
continue to feed anti-U.S. rhetoric, and we do not exclude
that there will be unhelpful parliamentary hearings on the

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base. The parliamentarians warned that some in the
government and the Parliament would continue to exploit the
issue, even if they privately understood the value of the
base to Kyrgyzstan, and the continued negative public
impressions could have an impact on the base and more broadly
on U.S.-Kyrgyz relations. We will continue to regularly
engage parliamentarians, government officials, and the press
to counter misperceptions about the air base.
LITZENBERGER