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-Mars
Was Russia behind cyber-attack on Kyrgyzstan?
The small Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan, which lies on the border between China and Russia, was hit by a mysterious cyber-attack ten days ago which took out more than 80% of its internet capacity. The country's two main internet service providers are now back online, but the source of the attack remains mysterious.
It is known that the attack originated from Russian IP's, and an article in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal attributes them to a Russian-based "cyber-militia." Russia was blamed for similar denial-of-service attacks on Estonia in 2007 and on Georgia during last year's brief war between those two nations. However, the Journal was unable to obtain comment from Russian, Kyrgyz, or United States officials.
The United States is far more deeply involved in Kyrgyzstan than is generally recognized and has been using an air force base there since 2001 to supply its operations in Afghanistan. One theory about the cyber-attack links it with recent Russian pressure on Kyrgyzstan to terminate US use of that base.
Both Reuters and Agence France-Presse recently cited Kyrgyz sources as saying that a statement announcing the closing of the US base in exchange for Russian financial aid was imminent.
However, General David Petraeus insisted during a trip to the region last week, "We look forward to discussing the future of the base there and we certainly have no plans to change anything, frankly."
Following talks with the Kyrgyz prime minister, Petraeus added that "we did not discuss such possibilities at all" and said that a team of US officials would be arriving in Kyrgyzstan shortly to discuss expanding US use of the base.
A second, very different, theory about the attack is that it may have represented an attempt by the Kyrgyz government to clamp down on its own fledgling opposition movement.
The previous Kyrgyz head of state was overthrown in 2005 -- in an uprising heavily supported by American non-governmental organizations, such as the International Republican Ins ute and the National Democratic Ins ute -- but now discontent is growing again.
EurasiaNet noted last week that "as Kyrgyzstan’s feeble opposition unites into a new coalition, its leaders are coming under increasing pressure from the authorities. The state general prosecutor has launched criminal investigations involving at least four opposition leaders in recent weeks. ... Analysts are calling the inquiries politically motivated."
According to Wired, "during Kyrgyzstan's 'Tulip Revolution' in 2005, demonstrators often depended on cell phones and text messages to organize." Wired suggests that the Kyrgyz authorities may now fear that the internet will be used in the same way.
i love me some Soviet Union
-Mars
lol Russia
Hyeah, I bet their electronic militia uses 1990's era supercomputers (that we provided the funding for).
F. id be looking east to china. those bas s already hacked into the white house.
Kyrgyzstan isn't actually that bad. I've been there, learned a little Russian from the natives while deployed.
America REALLY needs to step up its cyber-defense. REALLY badly.
Especially consider the Chinese outnumber us a million to one, and they have a cyber army of like 200 million constantly spying on every transaction, every porn site we visit, every communication we make.
Kyrgyzstan vows to close key US air base
19 hours ago
MOSCOW (AFP) — Kyrgyzstan vowed Tuesday it would order the closure of a US airbase on its soil whose presence has irritated Moscow, on the same day it received a generous Russian financial aid package.
The Manas air base serves as a vital supply route for NATO forces in Afghanistan but its location deep in former Soviet territory has annoyed an increasingly assertive Russia keen on restoring its influence in Central Asia.
"The government of Kyrgyzstan has taken a decision over the ending of the time period for the American base to remain on the territory of Kyrgyzstan," President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said after talks with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.
"The decision will be announced very soon," he added, in comments broadcast on state television. No timeframe was announced, although some reports have suggested the base will be given six months to close.
The United States immediately underlined the importance of the base, hoping that it would remain open and calling it "hugely important" for the resupply of US forces in Afghanistan.
Coinciding with the announcement by Bakiyev, Russia agreed to a financial aid package settling an estimated 180-million-dollar debt owed by cash-strapped Kyrgyzstan to Moscow.
Russia also agreed to extend an interest free grant worth 150 million dollars to Kyrgyzstan as well as a loan worth two billion dollars, Russian news agencies reported.
There was no official mention of a link between the base's closure and the aid, but there has been intense speculation that Moscow has been using its financial muscle to get its way in its former Soviet territory.
The Kommersant newspaper said Russia "has laid down a strict condition: the provision of Russian financial help should lead to an official announcement by Kyrgyzstan on renouncing its obligations on the presence of the US airbase."
Bakiyev also grumbled that by contrast the United States had been less than forthcoming in giving aid in compensation for Bishkek's hosting of the base.
He said that when the base had been set up to assist coalition forces fighting to oust the Taliban from Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks it had only been supposed to exist for one or two years.
"Now eight years have passed. We discussed the question about economic compensation more than once with the United States but we did not find understanding," he said.
Medvedev said the base's future was a Kyrgyz issue but that "without this we would be able to join forces to enable a stabilisation of the situation in the region."
The base at Manas airport near Bishkek is a supply point for Western operations in Afghanistan and had grown in importance as Washington steps up Afghan operations and faced difficulties with another route through Pakistan.
The importance of the northern route into Afghanistan was underlined as suspected militants blew up a key bridge in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, suspending a NATO supply line.
"We are hopeful that we can continue our good relationship with the Kyrgyz government, and can continue to use Manas in support of our operations in Afghanistan," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said in Washington.
"It is a hugely important air base for us."
On a visit to Kyrgyzstan on Monday a NATO envoy, Robert Simmons, stressed the base's importance, saying it would be a matter for "regret" if it closed.
Paul Quinn-Judge, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, said that Bakiyev was desperate for aid amid mounting problems, including an energy crisis and declining remittances from migrant workers in Russia.
There is also the prospect of elections due next year but possibly to be held sooner.
"The government is in serious financial straits. It's facing economic crisis.
"Bakiyev is haggling very hard. Quite clearly he needs the money. The unanswered question is how far he's going to be willing to go to get the money," Quinn-Judge said by phone from Bishkek.
Pfft. They were threatening that in 2005 when I went there too. I seriously doubt if they'll go through with it. That base is a jumping off point for missions into Afghanistan.
Besides, I liked Kyrgyzstan. The people were friendly and taught me some basic Russian.
Will they turn down the heavy bribe the Russians are dangling?
In any case, what's happening now bids up the importance of Kyrgzstan. The closing of the Khyber supply line already bid it up anyway.
Bakiyev made the announcement:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...wLfyo&refer=us
But US officials insist the negotiations are ongoing, and no official order to leave the base has been received.
That's almost exactly what happened in '05, if I recall. There was talk of the base shutting down while I was there, actually, which was right after the civil unrest/riots.
We'll see, but it's rare that the US releases their hooks on a country once they get them in.
This way, they have us and the Russians both over a barrel. In their position, that's how I'd consider it.
They certainly are strategically placed. Have you looked at a map of the Middle East? We obviously can't go through Iran. We could go through Pakistan, from Al Dhafra AB (Abu Dhabi, UAE) or Qatar, but I believe that would be a longer flight. (The pilot would have to fly due east, then north to avoid Iran airspace.)
Also, it's most likely our closest base to a border of China.
Got any pix you could share?
Uhm... I don't think I have any digital photos, just disposable. I still have 'nesting' doll type figurines that I bought from there. And I learned some great phrases from the third nationals:
"Klasnaya popka!" - Nice ass!
"Budte zdarova" - To your health! (a cheer)
"Suka" -
"Zatkanees" - shut up!
The first words anyone teaches a foreigner are swear words lol.
Didn't mean to put you on the spot, LnGrrR. I'm just curious. Kyrgyzstan conjures no pictures for me.
Look up "Bishkek". That's their capital city. I got to go there two or three times while I was deployed. Helped out a children's hospital and went on a museum tour. It's nice enough. I mean, not like Times Square, but still modern.
You're right about 2005, but that was before Russia was being this overtly aggressive in its dealings abroad. Remember, every base in that area that has been effectively shut down has been largely because of Russian pressure, like ostracizing it from the CIS.
True that LaMarcus. I guess it all depends on how much the US wants to pony up for that base.
Hm... well this should change the war on terror a good deal.. and I have no idea what avenue we'll use now to get into Afghanistan. They talk of opening up a base in Uzbekistan (or maybe one of the other -stans), but that could lead to the same issues with Russia.
There's a good chance that we'll beef up operations in Qatar and UAE, but the latter is a relatively small base.
The only other option I could see would be to ask Pakistan if we could open up a forward operating base there. But there could not be a worse possible time to ask for that, and I really doubt Pakistan would let us have troops on their soil. Heck, we should be happy they're still letting us use their airspace.
We're friends with India right? Maybe they can let us make a base there...lol
I will admit, i'm half speaking out of my ass, but I have always thought the kyrgyzstan base was chiefly for long term NATO purposes, and the reports of its necessity in the Afghan war are dubious.
Do we really use it THAT often as a stationing ground for that many missions? I'd like to see some concrete facts besides just the sentence "it is a crucial base for afghan missions".
Because when you think about it, if it comes down to money, even in this recession, we should win out.
If the US thinks it just isn't worth it, then I do not think it is or was ever that necessary to the Afghanistan war.
A base in India would be nice, and not just for the Afghan War.
The Khyber Pass must be controlled. We have been attacking Pakistani soil since late 2007 at least, and it is no coincidence that Obama included the word "pakistan" in his answers to the terror front.
I say we s the ever living out of that entire region, and to with that bull paper tiger pakistani government. If these asshole ragheads did not have nukes, we would have done this years ago.
Pakistan is destined for fragmentation IMO, and the gaza-esque fragment will be that that contains Khyber Pass. Like CBF always says......bring back the bomb.
What is interesting is that Russia had reportedly warmed up to helping the US war on terror, with Afghanistan mentioned in particular. This was reported days after Obama's inauguration. I know this is a pipe dream, but it would be something if Russia somehow took a role in this stupid war to rack up the most muslims kills. Would be very bad for the US long term, but good in the short and moderate term. I know, pipe dream.
What the US has completely not taken advantage of with their stupid, vapid Afghan strategies thus far is that both Russia and China have a long term interest in a stable Afghanistan. Yet....it's US and NATO men that are being killed by these ignorant religion of peace heads.
Last edited by Cant_Be_Faded; 02-07-2009 at 12:23 AM.
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