In the Papers

A few of the more interesting pieces from the Sunday papers (and beyond) this week:

- Uzbekistan has handed the U.S. an eviction notice, telling the military it must remove all personnel and equipment from Karshi-Khanabad (K2) airbase there within 180 days. The AP says no reason was provided for the notice, but notes that the NYT cited a State Department official as saying the eviction is in retaliation for US support for a United Nations airlift of refugees out of the region last week. The 400 Uzbeks had fled to Kyrgyzstan after the Andjian massacre in May, in which Uzbek troops killed several hundred civilian protesters. The Karimov regime had sought the return of the refugees to Uzbek control, but the United Nations flew them to a camp in Romania late last week.

Since the events in Andjian more than two months ago, I have urged a stronger line against the Karimov regime. The State Department and the Pentagon had been tussling over what approach the US government should take in calling for international investigations into the massacre ... perhaps now that there is no need to worry about basing rights, the Pentagon will set aside its reservations and push for an immediate and thorough examination. From the outset, Senators McCain, Graham, DeWine, Sununu, Lieberman and Leahy have been leaders in the calls for a reevaluation of American relations with the Karimov government, and they deserve much credit for their stances. Our departure from Uzbek territory is a healthy step, and hopefully it will allow us to push more sincerely for reforms there, while at the same time not hampering ongoing operations in Afghanistan.

- Robin Wright and Glenn Kessler's WaPo profile of Secretary of State Rice and an analysis of her first six months on the job is well worth a read.

- Don't miss the Nicholas Confessore NYT "Week in Review" piece sure to rile up the right wing of the GOP. Noting early that "cultural conservatives, once the fiery insurgents of their party, have become the central pillar of the new G.O.P. establishment," Confessore goes on to remark "Yet the early list of Republican White House contenders is dominated by politicians whose commitment to conservative orthodoxy is newfound, inconstant or diminishing." He includes in that category Frist (one speech does inconstancy make these days, I guess), McCain, Pataki, Giuliani, and Romney, going on to briefly profile each character. Note, of course, the important exclusion of at least a few possible candidates who do not share the pecularities of Confessore's lineup: Allen, Pawlenty, Huckabee, ... dare I add Santorum, Brownback.

Confessore's "big question" - can a non-100%-orthodox Republican win through in the primaries, is unanswerable right now, he says - the "tectonics of 2008 are hard to read." Indeed, so far they are. But before too long, they're going to be coming into focus ... and for those of us who hold out hope that centrism (or at least non-fundamentalist mainline conservatism) can win through are going to have to be well prepared for the debate that lies ahead.