Russian arms nudge Central Asia to edge

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http://atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/CEN-01-080114.html



Russian arms nudge Central Asia to edge
By Fozil Mashrab
Jan 8, '14

The possibility of worsening security situation in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the complete or partial withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) post-2014 seems to have presented Russia with an opportunity to entrench its military dominance in Central Asia.

Touting the danger of Afghanistan again lapsing into a safe-haven for various jihadist groups, the Kremlin first secured the extension of its military bases in the region earlier this year and now is offering large amounts of military hardware to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the two Central Asian countries that host Russian military bases and are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-dominated post-Soviet security block.

Russia has promised to donate more than US$1.2 billion in weapons supplies to Kyrgyz and Tajik armies, including military helicopters, air-defense systems, tanks, armored personnel carriers and many types of weaponry in addition to military training program for Kyrgyz and Tajik officers.

Observers believe that Russia's big-brotherly impulse to help Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was in response to US government plans to donate or sell at discount prices some of its military equipment used in Afghanistan to Central Asian countries rather than transporting it back to the US at high cost.