THE CHICAGO WAY - RUSSIAN STYLE

Kyrgyzstan is a country northeast of Afghanistan with Tajikistan the only country separating them. It is also home to a U.S. Air base critical for America's war effort in Afghanistan. The uprising there led to President Kurmanbek Bakiyev fleeing the country.

That uprising is thought to be sanctioned by Russia via a propaganda campaign likely coming from Vladimir Putin himself. Via the Washington Post:

Less than a month before the violent protests that toppled the government of Kyrgyzstan last week, Russian television stations broadcast scathing reports portraying President Kurmanbek Bakiyev as a repugnant dictator whose family was stealing billions of dollars from this impoverished nation.

The media campaign, along with punishing economic measures adopted by the Kremlin, played a critical role in fanning public anger against Bakiyev and bringing people into the streets for the demonstrations that forced him to flee the capital Wednesday, according to protest leaders, local journalists and analysts.

Sounds like some Community Organizing took place in Kyrgyzstan with the help of state-controlled media. Hmmmm, sounds familiar, huh? That said, Bakiyev is not to be pitied too much. He appears to have lost a high stakes game of playing both sides against the middle and crossed Putin in the process.

Apparently, Bakiyev agreed to a $2 Billion deal with Russia that involved his closing down the U.S. air base. The Post reports that about one year ago, Bakiyev took three times as much money from the U.S. to keep it open:

Little more than a year ago, the Kremlin regarded Bakiyev as an ally, promising him more than $2 billion in aid during a visit to Moscow at the height of the global economic crisis.

On the same trip, Bakiyev announced plans to close the U.S. air base, in what was widely seen as an exchange.

Four months later, after Russia had made good on $415 million of its pledge, Bakiyev suddenly agreed to keep the air base open when Washington offered more than three times the original rent. Russian officials, including President Dmitry Medvedev, indicated at the time that they had blessed the decision, but it soon became clear that the Kremlin had been cheated -- and was furious.

Bakiyev's actions and fate notwithstanding, the fact that Russia is intentionally trying to hamper U.S. war efforts with Chicago-style payoffs is cause for serious concern. Especially in light of Obama's signing the recent Non-Proliferation Treaty as Putin's Russia continues to aggressively strengthen relations with enemies of America in the western hemisphere.

The situation remains fluid....

h/t to Free Republic