Associated Press
November 20
wo top U.S. senators lobbied Uzbekistan on Tuesday to allow wider use of U.S. forces based in the country and pledged to back an increase in aid for Uzbekistan, which is hosting U.S. soldiers in the fight against terror.
Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the U.S. Senates' Armed Services Committee, and the top Republican member of that committee, Sen. John Warner, gave no details on what type of an increased role they were calling for, other than saying that they were not pressing Uzbekistan to allow in more U.S. ground troops.
Some 1,000 American soldiers are based at Khanabad air base in southern Uzbekistan. The senators planned to visit the base later Tuesday. The top U.S. general in the fight against terror, Gen. Tommy Franks, was at the base earlier Tuesday. No reporters are allowed near the base.
"We are not talking ground troops," Levin said. "We are talking about an increased military role and I wouldn't want to go into any more" detail.
Uzbekistan has said that it would allow U.S. forces in the country to carry out search and rescue and humanitarian operations.
Uzbekistan borders Afghanistan and is a crucial U.S. ally in the military campaign there.
Levin and Warner spoke after meeting with top Uzbek officials, including President Islam Karimov.
The United States has given aid to Uzbekistan for years and Warner said that assistance to the country should increase.
"This country has stepped forward in this hour of need ... and perhaps in some ways we can be of assistance to them," Warner said.
The senators also called on Uzbekistan to open its bridge across the Amu Darya river into Afghanistan to help facilitate humanitarian aid shipments.
The United Nations has been sending barges filled with wheat flour, winter coats and shoes from the Uzbek port of Termez to Afghanistan, but aid groups have said that the flow could be dramatically increased if the bridge across the river were opened.
"The response was that it's going to be open as soon as the Afghan side of the bridge is secure," Levin said. Warner added that in their talks the Uzbek government cited recent reports of fighting in areas near the bridge.
The senators plan to visit Pakistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the Balkans and U.S. Navy sailors aboard ships during their tour.
Levin said a key goal of the visit was "to celebrate our Thanksgiving with our forces," but for security reasons refused to say in which country the festive meal would be held.