UzLand.Uz
December 18
hird visit of U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to Uzbekistan went almost unnoticed. If during his
first visit he met with President Karimov, during his second visit he limited it to a meeting with Uzbek Minister of Defense
Qodir Ghulomov. The third visit on Sunday would have been incognito if the Uzbek Defense Ministry's press office hadn't
published a short report. Secretary Rumsfeld met with his Uzbek counterpart and visited the U.S. airbase located at the
Khanabad military base not far from Karshi given to the United States after the September 11 attacks to carry out
some operations during the military campaign. There Secretary Rumsfeld met with 1,500 U.S. troops and congratulated
them on upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays.