The situation in Kyrgyzstan appears to be pretty grave, with protesters in Talas taking over a government building. It's ongoing, and to make too many conclusions just yet would obviously be premature. Still, I was struck by this paragraph in EurasiaNet's latest story:
In the evening, rumors began circulating that two planeloads of special security troops had been dispatched by the government and were preparing to move into the town center. One witness said that, despite the possibility of a clash, the crowd of protesters in Talas was growing. Many intended to stay in the square overnight.
Of course, we should be extremely cautious about rumors that emerge from a crowd of protesters. However, it's not a stretch to imagine that Kyrgyzstan might deploy some sort of security forces. And just imagine, if the government had a group of well trained anti-terror troops, those would certainly be among the most likely to respond.
And that puts the proposed US-built anti-terror training center in Batken in some new perspective. The current government in Kyrgyzstan appears more and more brazen in its efforts to maintain power. Might it use its security forces like Uzbekistan did in Andijan? (Or even a fraction as violently?) And what if those troops were US-trained? I would imagine the Americans who are in charge of the Batken center are watching this situation in Talas pretty closely.
Joshua Kucera, a senior correspondent, is Eurasianet's former Turkey/Caucasus editor and has written for the site since 2007.
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