The U.S. State Department on Tuesday denied any link between General David Petraeus' visit to Uzbekistan and a possible U.S. military base closing in neighboring Kyrgyzstan that could affect the U.S.-led effort in Afghanistan. The Uzbekistan visit by the chief of U.S. Central Command “is not about supply routes or … the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan,” said Gordon Duguid, a State Department spokesman. Asked the reason for Petraeus to visit Uzbekistan, Duguid referred reporters to the Pentagon. “I am unaware that we are raising anything about supply routes [to Afghanistan] with Uzbekistan,” he said. Duguid noted that the Kyrgyz government had not officially notified Washington about its decision to close the Manas base near the capital, Bishkek. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week that Manas was important “but not irreplaceable,” adding, “We are looking at alternatives.” Petraeus flew to Uzbekistan overnight from Qatar, the U.S. embassy there said, and will be leaving Tashkent to return to the United States later Tuesday after talks are concluded.
