WSJ: US eyes to deploy troops in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as they leave Afghanistan
WSJ: US eyes to deploy troops in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as they leave Afghanistan
U.S. military planners are looking for options to base forces and equipment in Central Asia and the Middle East after American and allied troops leave Afghanistan in the coming months, according to an article published on The World Street Journal (WSJ).
With withdrawal preparations ramping up, U.S. military commanders want bases for troops, drones, bombers and artillery to shore up the Afghan government, keep the Taliban insurgency in check and monitor other extremists. Options being assessed range from nearby countries to more distant Arab Gulf emirates and Navy ships at sea, U.S. government and military officials said.
“Preferable, according to some military and Biden administration officials, would be Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which border Afghanistan and would allow for quick access. But Russia’s large military footprint in the region, China’s growing one and tensions between them and Washington complicate plans for Central Asian bases”, the article notes.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, traveled to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan past week. His discussions focused on efforts to broker peace among the Afghan factions before the Sept. 11 withdrawal deadline—a topic a U.S. official involved in the discussions said is of concern to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which don’t want a spillover of the violence.
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