



Russia helped rout leaders: Kyrgyz rebels


Yuras Karmanau

BISHKEK: Thousands of defiant residents of Bishkek gathered in the Kyrgyz capital's main square yesterday to mourn victims of this week's bloody revolt as Kyrgyzstan's self-proclaimed new leadership said Russia had helped oust the President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

Omurbek Tekebayev, who is in charge of constitutional matters in the new government, said: ''Russia played its role in ousting Bakiyev. You've seen the level of Russia's joy when they saw Bakiyev gone.''

The Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, denied Moscow had played any part in the turmoil in the former Soviet republic, but he was the first foreign leader to recognise Roza Otunbayeva as the new Kyrgyz leader, and rang her soon after she announced she was in charge.

The deputy head of the interim government, Almazbek Atambayev, flew to Moscow yesterday for consultation with unspecified Russian government officials, ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

Ms Otunbayeva said her government controlled the whole country except for Mr Bakiyev's power base of Osh and Jalalabad in the south, and she had the backing of the armed forces and border guards.

The mourners gathered in Ala-Too Square yesterday blamed the ousted president for the bloodshed on Wednesday, when security forces in the square opened fire on a crowd that had tried to storm the main government building to protest against corruption and rising utility costs.

''We grieve over our heroes,'' said Khatima Immamaliyeva, 44, holding a red carnation and crying. ''They are real heroes who have sacrificed their lives for the future of Kyrgyzstan. Bakiyev must bear responsibility for the deaths.''

Mr Tekebayev said there was ''a high probability'' the lease of a US military base in Kyrgyzstan would be shortened.

The Manas base is used by the US and its NATO allies to support their forces in Afghanistan.

Opposition figures have said in the past that they want the base shut down. Kyrgyzstan also hosts a Russian military base and is the only country where both former Cold War foes have bases.

Ms Otunbayeva, who once served as Mr Bakiyev's foreign minister, said there were no plans to review the lease agreement for the base, which runs out in July. Her government would meet US diplomats for talks in Bishkek, she said.

US military officials said Kyrgyzstan halted flights for 12 hours on Wednesday, confining troops to the base. About 1100 troops are stationed there, including contingents from Spain and France.

The US President, Barack Obama, and the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, discussed Kyrgyzstan before signing an arms treaty in Prague on Thursday.

Mr Obama's senior director for Russian affairs, Michael McFaul, said the US did not view the conflict as a proxy struggle between the US and Russia.

''This is not some anti-American coup; that we know for sure,'' Mr McFaul said. ''And this is not some sponsored-by-the-Russians coup; there's just no evidence of that.''

Telegraph, London; Associated Press

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