The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) isn't a group we hear much about or one that sounds like a formidable force in foreign affairs, but a closer look at it's current positions raise a few red flags. Perhaps the organization shouldn't be named after Shanghai. Maybe the Central Asian Treaty Organization (CATO?) would be a name better fitting this group making demands on US military deployments. I've mentioned before that Russia and China were seeking to form their own version of NATO, and SCO suddenly appears to be the foundation of those efforts.
SCO has six members-- Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. SCO was formally founded in June 2001, after years of "organizing," to strengthen trust and address disarmament issues in border regions while opposing the "three evils" of terrorism, extremism, and separatism. Having formed before 9-11, SCO considers itself a pioneer in the war on terror. And the pioneers are not happy with the US presence within SCO borders.
Disturbed by the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) towards the East and the West-backed velvet revolutions Russia and China want to know when the US plans to evacuate its military bases in Central Asia.
At the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) formed by Russia, China and various other Central Asian states, a call made for a deadline for the evacuation of the US-led anti-terrorist coalition bases in SCO member territories. In the summit's conclusion report, the emphasis was remarkably focused on the term "temporal" regarding the issue of the employment by coalition forces of certain bases in Central Asia.
The actual wording of the "call made for a deadline" was surprisingly blunt.
Most striking was the section of the six leaders' final declaration about the military bases of "the international counter-terrorist coalition" (read: the U.S. and NATO) in Central Asia.
"In view of the completion of the active phase of the counter-terrorist operation in Afghanistan," the SCO members - China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - "deem it necessary" for the U.S. and NATO "to set a deadline on the temporary use of the aforementioned infrastructure facilities and the deployment of their troops in SCO member states," the statement says.
The meaning of these polite phrases is glaringly obvious: The six SCO states think it is possible and necessary to take on greater responsibility for dealing with threats to their stability. These threats include increasing drugs traffic from Afghanistan and a rise in religious extremism in the region, both of which disrupt political stability in Central Asia.
CS Monitor had a nice rundown of SCO issues and concerns prior to these current demands.
AFX also reports that "the leaders also included a clause on the inadmissibility of 'monopolizing or dominating international affairs' – apparently a reference to growing US influence in Central Asia."
Today's declaration echoes a similar one on the '21st century international order' signed by Putin and Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in Moscow last week.
It follows a string of complaints by leaders such as Uzbek President Islam Karimov suggesting that the West was behind uprisings in three former Soviet republics in the last two years – Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.
"There should be no place for interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states," Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
Mr. Karimov said outside forces were threatening to "hijack stability and impose their model of development" on the region.
UzReport.com, Uzbekistan's largest business Internet portal, reports that Secretary-General of the SCO Zhang Deguang said three evils – terrorism, extremism, and separatism – are the main threat to peace and security in the region.
Sergei Prikhodko, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that Central Asian states will ask US-led forces when they plan to leave Uzbek and Kyrgyz bases, reports MosNews.
The active phase is now being completed and it's important to know when they will go home. ... No one is telling them it should be tomorrow, in a month, in five months or in a year and a half, but it's just straightforward that SCO members know by when the anti-terrorist coalition will leave.
"Speeches at the summit by the leaders of China and Uzbekistan included veiled criticism of Western influence in the region and they follow hawkish comments by Russian officials criticizing attempts by unspecified foreign forces to destabilize Central Asia," according to MosNews.
"Correspondents say the statement appears to reflect increasing concerns that the US is encouraging the overthrow of Central Asia's authoritarian governments," reports BBC.
Radio Free Europe writes "the summit highlights China's continuing efforts to build influence in Central Asia – and gain greater access to its energy resources – by making common cause with Russia and the Central Asian states against militant groups."
Beijing, the major force behind the SCO, has poured more resources into maintaining it than have any of the other member states. And often, Beijing has found itself trying to push the others along in its efforts to develop the SCO into a major regional alliance.
RFE points out that a Kazakh oil pipeline to China with up to 20 million tons capacity is due to be completed by December.
Ah, oil. I won't say it, but...
Pakistan and India were both granted observer status at the SCO summit. It's always nice to see them at the same table, and as far as I can tell, neither has made official comments about SCO's demands. Afghanistan was considered for observer status, but either declined or was denied. Again, news is sparse, which is a shame, or a sham. Perhaps the SCO members having such close ties to the region and intimate knowledge of the puppets, players and thugs (must read link) now running Afghanistan decided to leave that mess to the US. In fact, it appears SCO fully expects the US to move it's "occupational and disruptive" presence to Afghanistan, soon.
Considering the diplomatic geniuses currently making decisions for this great nation, the US response should come as no surprise.
The United States has rejected a call by the six-country Shanghai Cooperation Organization to set a date for the withdrawal of American and coalition forces from bases in Central Asia.
Simply, our military is operating from air bases in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Those two countries, in agreement with other SCO members, see the US as a destabilizing presence. They've labeled the US as "occupiers," and asked for withdrawal on a timeline. It sounds reasonable considering the "conquering" of Afghanistan, and the opportunity to base forces within the country actually invaded, especially since there is solid evidence within SCO countries supporting the accusation that our presence is problematic.
Instead of thanking them for the use of their facilities and setting a date, the US has opted for a game of global chicken with an organization represented by the world's 2nd and 3rd strongest militaries, both permanent members of the UN Security Council. When nutjobs like Michael Ladeen and Norman Podhoretz write their sophomoric pleas for more war, faster war, and world war; I doubt these are the type of adversaries they have in mind.
-- Zap
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