U.S. says no to permanent bases in C Asia

The U.S. intends to have some presence in several Central Asian countries, but no permanent bases

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States does not want to establish permanent military bases in Central Asia, but the Bush administration is interested in long-term engagement in the region, and in helping democracy to grow there, a top State Department official has said.

Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian affairs Beth Jones recently returned to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, where she led an interagency delegation to further U.S. policy in the region.

Her trip was an effort to make good on promises made by the Bush administration that it will make a deeper and more permanent commitment in Central Asia in response to those nations' cooperation with the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan

Although the United States has increased its military presence in several of the Central Asian countries and intends to be there for the near future, Jones said permanent U.S. bases will not be established in the region.

"They want us engaged in the long term, and we will be engaged in the long term, but the difference is to make certain that everybody understands that this does not mean American bases," Jones said. "We are not looking for, we don't want, U.S. bases in Central Asia. We don't want a U.S. base anywhere ... that's the bottom line. "

But Jones said the United States wants access to the bases in Central Asia "for as long as we need them," to help assist with humanitarian and reconstruction supplies going into Afghanistan and facilitate the movement of troops in the International Security Assistance Force into the country.

Reassurance

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Significant U.S.-funded expansions at many of the bases in the region, coupled with an increased presence by the U.S. military, has caused anxiety within Russia, which sees the United States as countering its influence in the region.

A communiqué issued after meetings last week between the United States and Russia over Afghanistan noted that "the American side emphasized that the U.S. does not seek to establish permanent military bases in Central Asia," a reference meant to reassure Russia that the United States understands its concerns.

Jones said the administration was trying to be "transparent" with Moscow about its goals in the region.

"The Russians have been extremely collegial, shall we say, in terms of the kinds of discussions we have. We have complete agreement on what are our goals vis-à-vis Afghanistan, the importance of assuring that the threats coming out of Afghanistan don't threaten Russia," she said.

During her visit, Jones detailed U.S. programs for the region, including technical assistance and expert advice in an effort to forge political, economic and social reforms in the Central Asian states in which the governments have traditionally not been able to develop democratic institutions. The United States will also provide more military training and equipment for the region.

Uzbekistan alone has seen a $100 million increase in U.S. aid for 2002.

Human rights

Jones encountered resistance when addressing human rights and democracy in the Central Asian countries, several of which have been criticized by human rights activists as having among the worst human rights records in the world. Additionally, Uzbek President Islam Karimov just extended his term in a referendum the United States has cited as unfair.

She insisted the United States would continue to impress upon the Central Asian countries the importance of not committing human rights violations under the guise of fighting terrorism, but said the United States would not withdraw its aid if the governments do not meet U.S. standards.

"I can't honestly say they really understand," she said.

Jones said the increased engagement gives the United States a "far greater ability to have the kind of tough, detailed conversations that we need to have with government agencies and to work in a more intensified way with NGOs and citizens groups of various kinds on each of these issues."

But she added that because none of the aid is going directly to the governments, it would not make sense to cut programs as a punishment.

"The consequences are that we are in their office, in their face, all the time. They are not going to get a pass on it," she said.