Passengers at Manas, Kyrgyzstan's main airport, might think they have landed in an occupied country, to judge by the dozen or more hulking grey warplanes on the tarmac emblazoned with "us Air Force" along their fuselages. But these monsters will only be around for a few months more. America uses Manas as the gateway for almost every soldier coming into or out of its war in Afghanistan (see picture). But by the end of next year, it will have wound down its war there. Meanwhile, Russia is throwing its weight about in its Central Asian former backyard. It as much as promised Kyrgyzstan $11 billion in military aid and a debt write-off of nearly $5oom if the Americans go. As a consequence, Kyrgyzstan's leaders are evicting them from Manas in July.
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