Bulgarians worried by U.S. military presence

14 October 2008

NOVO SELO TRAINING RANGE, Bulgaria- U.S. soldier Charles Burch regards Bulgaria as a delightful, sunny spot to serve in - but his arrival along with 900 other U.S. troops is worrying many Bulgarians.

Though the Socialist government agreed in 2006 to host up to 2,500 U.S. troops at three bases, opinion polls show a majority of people fear their presence could make them a potential target for attack rather than provide protection.

The U.S. bases in Bulgaria, and in neighbouring Romania, are part of a Washington plan to shift military focus from Cold War era bases in Western Europe and allow speedy deployment of troops in conflict zones in the Middle East and beyond.

"I do not quite understand politics, but from what I see on TV, it seems that we are becoming a target for attacks," says Maria Zhechkova, 59, a shopkeeper in the village of Mokren which neighbours the Novo Selo training area.

Novo Selo in the southeast is, with the Bezmer air base near the border with Turkey and the Graf Ignatievo airfield, one of the three bases for the U.S. troops on rotation of about six months for 10 years.

The reaction of Russia - a traditional ally and, crucially Bulgaria's sole energy supplier - looms large in the minds of many in the Balkan state of 7.6 million.

They also feel exposed to an attack from Iran in the event of a conflict with the United States. "Why do we need these bases? To annoy Russia and become a target of Iran's missiles in the event of the United States waging a war against it?", said retired physicist Petar Markov, 66, in Sofia.

Apart from Bulgaria's reliance on Russian energy imports, pro-Russian sentiment still runs deep in a country that was Moscow's most loyal satellite in Soviet times, but is now a member of NATO and the European Union.

During Russia's armed incursion into Georgia in August, most Bulgarians, unlike their European allies and other former members of the old Warsaw Pact, were noticeably indifferent to Moscow's action.

The Georgian conflict did not spark any public debate or much media coverage, analysts say. Poland and the Czech Republic have triggered Russian ire with their decision to host a U.S. missile defence shield, seen by Moscow as a threat to its own national security.

Washington says the shield is to ward against attacks from countries like Iran -- not Russia. But many central European powers see it as a means of future protection against Moscow.

PRO-RUSSIAN

"The Bulgarian public opinion is very pro-Russian traditionally," said Ivan Krastev of the Sofia independent Liberal Strategies Institute. "At this stage, the country does not feel it is threatened".

A recent survey of the German Marshall Fund among 12 European countries and the United States found Bulgarians to be the friendliest towards Russia.

Observers say though that, while there is a potential risk for a terror attack against Bulgaria, which has sent troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, the security gains are great.

"The bases are a possibility for Bulgaria and its security to become central to the United States," Krastev said.

The U.S. embassy in Sofia is also trying to highlight the benefits and soothe fears among the local communities.

"By us being here we are actually making ourselves a harder target and preparing to counter such terrorist attacks," said Lieutenant Commander Jake Daystar of the Office of Defence Cooperation at the embassy.

U.S. soldier Burch, 32, who posed as a "terrorist" in the two-month military exercise together with some 300 Bulgarian soldiers, said he had not felt any animosity, only curiosity during weekend trips to Black Sea resorts.

"Everyone has been extremely nice," he said. "Thoroughly enjoyed it, I would come here on vacation".