The Parakeet's Nest

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN)  -- A Russian-led bloc of post-Soviet
nations has agreed to establish a rapid-reaction military force to
combat terrorists and respond to regional emergencies, Russian media
reported Wednesday.

 The decision came a day after reports that Kyrgyzstan is planning
to close a strategically important U.S. military base that Washington
uses to transport troops and supplies into Afghanistan.

 On
Wednesday, the Collective Security Treaty Organization -- made up of
Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and
Tajikistan -- decided on the rapid-reaction force at a Kremlin summit,
the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reported.

 The group's
security council "spent a long time discussing the central issue of
forming collective reaction forces and, generally, of rapid reaction to
possible threats," said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

 "Everyone agreed that the formation of joint forces is necessary," he said.

 Officials told Russian media that all the members had signed the agreement, though Uzbekistan submitted a special provision.

   Uzbekistan
doesn't mind contributing military units to the rapid-reaction force
"but does not consider it necessary for the moment" to attach emergency
responders, drug-control forces and other special services,
organization spokesman Vitaly Strugovets told Interfax.

 Russian
media reported that the force will be used to fight military
aggressors, conduct anti-terror operations, battle regional drug
trafficking and respond to natural disasters. The force will be based
in Russia under a single command, with member nations contributing
military units.

 On Tuesday, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev
announced at a Moscow news conference that "all due procedures" were
being initiated to close Manas Air Base, RIA-Novosti reported. The
announcement was made after news reports of a multimillion-dollar aid
package from Russia to Kyrgyzstan.

Gen. David Petraeus, who oversees U.S. operations in the Middle East
and Central Asia, including Afghanistan, was in Kyrgyzstan last month,
partly to lobby the government to allow the United States to keep using
the base. He said he and Kyrgyz leaders did not discuss "at all" the
possible closure of the base and said local officials told him there
was "no foundation" for news reports about the issue.

 The United
States is planning to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan
to halt a resurgence of the Taliban. Petraeus described Manas as having
"an important role in the deployment of these forces" and in refueling
aircraft.

 The relationship between the United States and
Kyrgyzstan was damaged when a Kyrgyz citizen was killed by a U.S.
airman in December 2006. The airman was transferred out of Kyrgyzstan,
and the dead man's family was offered compensation. Petraeus said in
January that the investigation was being reopened.

 As he
announced the base closure Tuesday, Bakiyev said he was not satisfied
with the inquiry into the accident and his government's "inability to
provide security to its citizens" was proving a serious concern.


Medvedev also weighed in on the issue Wednesday, saying the base
closure shouldn't hamper anti-terrorism operations, according to
Interfax. 

 "It would be great if their numbers
meant there were fewer terrorists, but such action depends on other
things as well," he said.

   "The Bear is coming back together, for it's strength.".........

be blessed.........

haney101