KYRGYZ POLICYMAKERS FOCUS ON MANAS AIRBASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BISHKEK 000597 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (GEHRENBECK) E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR KDEM KG SUBJECT: KYRGYZ POLICYMAKERS FOCUS ON MANAS AIRBASE REF: BISHKEK 555 BISHKEK 00000597 001.2 OF 004 Classified By: Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a May 21 meeting, the Manas Airbase commander handed Alexander Ivanov's widow a goodwill check to compensate her for her loss. Mrs. Ivanova and her lawyer queried about "moral damages" and complained about the amount and intent of the payment. Ivanova later spoke at a press conference where speakers called for Manas Airbase's closure and for protests. On May 18, Deputy Foreign Minister Kydyrov called in the Ambassador to "react" to recent press reports on the base. Kydyrov added that the Ambasador would be summoned this week to review modifications of the base agreement. ¶2. (C) Summary continued: A joint, public session of five parliamentary committees will discuss the Ivanov case and Manas Airbase May 23, and a subsequent plenary debate is set for May 25. Deputy Defense Minister Oruzbayev, who will speak at the May 23 session, has asked if the Ambassador and base commander have received invitations to participate. Another parliamentarian has tied the base to a rumored U.S. offensive against Iran. Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Sultanov has reportedly discussed raising the Russian profile on Kyrgyzstan's borders and at the Kant airbase during talks in Moscow. While the base faces a tough time as Kyrgyzstan prepares for the SCO summit and Kyrgyz officials respond to external pressures, our focus will remain on trying to inject rationality into the debate by presenting our side of the story. In addition to two press interviews scheduled for May 22 in order to shape the discussion before the May 23 parliamentary session, we hope to utilize the upcoming visits of Defense Secretary Gates and Assistant Secretary of State Boucher to reinforce messages on U.S.-Kyrgyz cooperation in the war against terrorism. While we do not expect that the Kyrgyz will walk back their commitment on the base, we do expect a rough week ahead. End summary. Widow Accepts, and Lawyer Questions, Payment -------------- ¶3. (C) Manas Airbase commander Col. Joel Reese met Mrs. Ivanova and her lawyer, Galina Skripkina, at Manas Airbase at about 0800 on May 21, and using pre-approved talking points, outlined the process and the nature of the goodwill payment to Ivanova. Ivanova accepted the som-denominated check, but later commented that "a woman who spills a cup of coffee on herself in the United States is worth more than a life in Kyrgyzstan." Skripkina asked whether the payment covered "moral damages," and questioned why the Foreign Claims Act had been denied. Reese reported that Skripkina claimed the "Secretary of the Air Force does not have the authority to deny a claim," and that she seemed ready to pursue another angle. Skripkina also inquired into the status of the U.S. Hatfield investigation. ¶4. (SBU) Following the meeting, the Manas Airbase public affairs office released a statement (to be e-mailed separately to SCA),which had been disclosed to Ivanova and Skripkina in the morning meeting, that outlined the provision of monetary assistance to Ivanova as a "final gesture of goodwill." No actual value was identified in the statement. Base and Embassy public affairs personnel coordinated talking points for subsequent press inquiries. Subsequent press accounts report a figure of $50,000, not the $55,000 actually provided. BISHKEK 00000597 002.2 OF 004 New Protest Movement Against Base -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Ivanova and Skripkina left the base meeting for a previously-scheduled 10:00 press conference organized by the "Movement for the Withdrawal of the American Airbase from Kyrgyzstan." The Movement announced plans for demonstrations on June 2 at Manas Airbase and/or the Embassy, and called for the withdrawal of the base under the slogan "Yankee Go Home." Ivanova reportedly detailed and ridiculed the payment at the press conference, and added that the "claim for reimbursement of moral and material damages has not and will not be honored." MFA Presses Base Issue -------------- ¶6. (C) Earlier, on May 18, Deputy Foreign Minister Taalay Kydyrov called in the Ambassador to urge action on outstanding base questions. He noted the unrelenting press articles of late, and said he hoped the Ambassador understood that the MFA &had to react.8 Ambassador told Kydyrov that the U.S. is moving forward on the issues, and expected a payment to the widow in the very immediate future. The Ambassador noted that the press articles were not a spontaneous occurrence and were clearly in some party,s interests; the MFA should respond accordingly, she said. Kydyrov did not dispute the Ambassador,s assessment, but said the articles, nevertheless, had their effect and the MFA had to take this into account. (Comment: Several articles stress that the Kyrgyz government is not defending the interests of Kyrgyz citizens. It seems that Kydyrov called in the Ambassador so he could tell the press and Parliament that the MFA is actively working the base issues. The MFA released a press statement less than an hour after the meeting. End Comment.) ¶7. (C) Kydyrov said that sometime during the week of May 21, he and Deputy Minister of Defense Kubanychbek Oruzbayev would call in the Ambassador to review how the base agreement could be modified. He noted the outstanding issues from the July 2006 agreement, and suggested that the two sides could come to closure on those issues. The Ambassador said she is always ready to discuss these issues with the GOKG, but is not empowered to negotiate agreements. Kydyrov said he understood, and added that the base should be more involved in the "international fight against terrorism." The Ambassador noted that the base continues to be a vital logistical hub for Operation Enduring Freedom and, therefore, a part of the fight against terrorism. Kydyrov responded by saying that he would be more specific the next time the two spoke. Kyrgyz Officials on Board at Manas -------------- ¶8. (C) On May 19, Manas Airbase hosted 10 Kyrgyz officials for an orientation flight aboard a KC-135 refueling tanker. The President's Chief of the Department on Defense and Security Affairs Kubatbekov, the Prime Minister's Defense and Security Advisor Bakirov, First Deputy Minister of Defense Oruzbayev, Minister of Finance Japarov, Parliament deputies Keldibekov and Sarpashev as well as Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Transportation officials joined Col Reese and the Ambassador for the briefing and subsequent flight. The event went well, and provided good opportunities BISHKEK 00000597 003.2 OF 004 to interface with these officials in advance of this week's parliamentary debate. Parliament Prepares to Debate the Base -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Five parliamentary committees have scheduled a joint public debate for May 23 to discuss two issues: 1) the Ivanov case, and 2) the status of the Manas Airbase. The debate, to be chaired by MP Rashid Tagayev of the Defense and Security Committee, is also scheduled to include members of the Committees on International Politics; Law and Order and the Fight Against Corruption; Emergency Situations, Forestry and Ecology; and Constitutional Law, State Structure and Legality. A public plenary debate is also scheduled for May ¶25. Deputy Defense Minister Oruzbayev, who will speak at the May 23 session, asked the Embassy May 21 if the Ambassador and Base commander Reese had received invitations to participate. ¶10. (C) While the debate is also expected to address "public" opinion, compensation, and other base-related issues, some parliamentarians, like MPs Azimbek Beknazarov and Tagayev, have already called the 2001 base agreement "illegal," and have also charged that the base is a "security risk" to Kyrgyzstan. Others, such as Speaker of Parliament Murat Sultanov, have previously expressed the importance of the base to Kyrgyzstan's security and economy, but also note that recent incidents involving base personnel have negatively affected constituent views regarding the base's continued presence. Adding Iran and Russia to the Equation -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Amidst rumors that Manas Airbase would be used in an offensive against Iran and that nuclear weapons are housed at the base, MP Matubraimov recounted in parliamentary session May 21 unspecified media reports indicating that Secretary Rice had mentioned the possibility of using Manas SIPDIS Airbase in strikes against Iran. (Comment: Embassy could not locate any media source for this story. End comment.) ¶12. (SBU) Speaker Sultanov, during a May 21 visit to Moscow, reportedly discussed the reintroduction of Russian border guards to Kyrgyzstan and the expansion of the Russian base at Kant. With the expansion of the Russian presence securing Kyrgyz airspace and borders, Sultanov reportedly claimed that the status of Manas Airbase can be reviewed. In subsequent comments, Sultanov noted that "if we suspect that the base is used for some other purposes, we will immediately raise the issue about stopping the operation of the base." (Comment: We will try to confirm these comments with Sultanov upon his return to Bishkek later this week. End comment.) Comment: The Long and Winding Road to Manas -------------- ¶13. (C) With preparations for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit underway, the renewed focus on the Manas Airbase is not unexpected. While certain Kyrgyz officials concede that a debate is necessary, particularly in light of the Ivanov case and to a lesser extent the aircraft collision and compensation issues, our main focus will be on trying to inject rationality into the debate by presenting our side of the story. The Ambassador will be interviewed by KTR and Akipress May 22 to try to shape the discussion before BISHKEK 00000597 004.2 OF 004 parliamentary hearings. In the run-up to the SCO summit, external pressure on the Kyrgyz is increasing, and public posturing by the Foreign Ministry, Parliament and others will likely result in more discussion of Manas Airbase's future. The parliamentary hearings are a crazy card, but, at this point, we do not expect the Kyrgyz to walk back their commitment on the base. However, we do expect a rough week ahead with demands for greater compensation and adjustments to the bilateral agreement. The upcoming visits by Secretary of Defense Gates and Assistant Secretary of State Boucher, among others, will be key to stabilizing our arrangements with the Kyrgyz past the current debate and on to our joint interest in fighting terrorism. YOVANOVITCH