America will not open base in Kazakhstan unless invited

Daily Times (Pakistan) November 4 The United States has no plans for a military presence in Kazakhstan but could open a base in this Central Asian country if asked by its government, a senior US general said on Thursday. "We don't envision opening bases here, unless Kazakhstan, the Kazakhstani government, would invite us to do so," Gen John Abizaid said after meeting with Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbayev. The statement from Abizaid, who oversees US military operations in Afghanistan and Central Asia, comes amid speculation that Washington was looking for alternative military bases in the strategic region. This summer, neighbouring Uzbekistan ordered the eviction of US troops from a base, a demand that came after a souring of relations over a bloody Uzbek government crackdown on a popular uprising in May. The loss of the Uzbek base, which supported operations in neighbouring Afghanistan, was followed by intensive US military diplomacy. US forces are also stationed in Kyrgyzstan. Kazakhstan allows US and NATO troops to use its airspace as part of their Afghanistan missions. Oil - and gas - rich Kazakhstan, the region's wealthiest nation, is also the only Central Asian nation to have sent troops to participate in the US-led coalition in Iraq.