The US could be losing its last military base in Central Asia and a critical part of its occupation of Afghanistan. Kyrgyzstan has announced it’s closing the Manas Air Base because of public outcry and a US refusal to pay a higher fee. The US has also refused to revoke the immunity of a US soldier who fatally shot a Kyrgyz truck driver in late 2006. The announcement came after Kyrgyzstan reached a $2 billion loan deal with Russia. Pentagon official dismissed the announcement, calling it “political posturing” to extract more money for the base’s use.