Another boring subject that you may have missed.

The government of Krygyzstan was overthrown earlier this week and a temporary government was created today. The country is 75% Muslim and it was Muslim insurgent that ousted the government. The U.S. had counted Krygyzstan as an ally, primarily for strategic reasons. (Look at a map.)

So why do we care about a country we never heard of, don't know where it is, and certainly can't pronounce it's name? So what if insurgents formed a new government?

Well, we have a huge airbase in Krygyzstan. Virtually all the troops, equipment and supplies that we use in Afghanistan have to be transshipped thru that airbase. The only alternative is to ship by land on a very long route thru the Khyber Pass and then all the way across Pakistan, thru the region currently under control of al Quaeda and where most think that Osama bin Laden is holed up. Then, all the way across Afghanistan thru areas controlled by the Taliban or tribes friendly with the Taliban. Most military experts think that is an impossible alternative.

in the In February, 2009 U.S. forces been ordered out of the air base by a Krygyzstan presidential decree that stunned Washington. It didn't get much news coverage here--our political leaders were lambasting one another shortly after President Obama's inauguration, arguing about TARP, the financial crisis, and whether or not we were going to close Guantanamo Bay. There was some evidence that pressure from militant Muslim minorities and pressure from Russia were behind the decree.

We settled with the government and the decree was removed by tripling the rent we pay Krygyzstan for the land on which the airbase was built--from $17.4 million a year to $90 million. But that deal was with the old government. Now that the Muslims are control of the new government of Krygyzstan, it's not too much of a stretch to think that the old deal might be off.

Anyone think we have a problem?

There's lots of stuff in the news that looks boring, but is well worthwhile reading.