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U.S. Troops To
Withdraw From
Ecuadorian Base
Quito - The United States
will withdraw its troops from Manta military
base in Ecuador in September after a lease
agreement expires in 2009, U.S. Ambassador
to Ecuador Heather Hodges said on Thursday.
The U.S. government has not decided to which
country it will move its anti-drug
operations in Manta, Hodges told the press.
She added that the United States is ready to
improve ties with Ecuador and boost
bilateral cooperation on the basis of mutual
respect.
It is important to extend bilateral
cooperation beyond the fight against drug
trafficking, Hodges said.
The Manta air base, about 260 km from Quito,
is a strategic outpost for anti-drug
operations in the Pacific Ocean.
There has been mounting criticism in Ecuador
about the Manta air base agreement signed
with the United States in 1999. Ecuadorian
President Rafael Correa decided not to renew
the agreement in 2007 and notified the U.S.
side of the decision last year.
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