‘Time’ Magazine prints controversial news on U.S. troops in Uzbekistan

American weekly "Time' Magazine published what has turned out to be a controversial article on U.S. military forces on Uzbekistan. Given Uzbekistan's recent attack of nerves, which held back the U.S. -led operation, the country's indignant objections do not come as a surprise. The journal revealed that the U.S. and Uzbekistan had signed an agreement, permitting the presence of American forces and planes on Uzbekistan territory in the long term. The journal went on to name the airbase being used by the U.S. and to said that it had become a supportive base for the U.S. in the course of carrying out its military operation against terrorists and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Finally, the journal confirmed that more than 10, 000 soldiers from the 10th mountain rangers division had been deployed to Khanabad airbase. It said that this base was being used as a bridgehead for American and British Special Forces carrying out operations in Afghanistan. The very same wire published exerts from an interview their Journalist had had with Uzbekistani Press Secretary, Roostam Jumaev. In the interview the Press Secretary insisted that there are no American forces in Uzbekistan other than those working at the airbase so that the U.S. can implement its humanitarian aims and search and rescue work. From all accounts it would seem that the Press Secretary decided to ignore "Times'' scoop on an U.S.-Uzbekistan agreement, at least for the moment. This, however, could be accidental for Uzbekistan's official version of what U.S. forces are using its Khanabad airbase for does not appear to have changed since last week.