The Pentagon is balking at demands by Kyrgyzstan that the US military pay for past use of Manas Air Base, a hub for flights supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. (DR, 10/13/05) The country wants $80 million to compensate for previous payments made—arguing that fuel companies tied to former President Askar Akayev embezzled the money out of the country. DOD isn’t interested in paying for the same thing twice, however. “Any possible misappropriation of funds is an internal Kyrgyz matter,” Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman told the London Financial Times.
Dick Cheney’s Legacy with the Air Force
Nov. 6, 2025
Dick Cheney, who died Nov. 3 at 84, is best remembered by most Americans as among the most powerful Vice Presidents in history, a consummate Washington insider who had previously served in the Nixon administration, was Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford, a Congressman for a decade, and Secretary…


