Silence in Astana: US recognition puts Kazakh authorities in an awkward position

A recent confession, unexpectedly arrived from This has put the Kazakh authorities in an awkward position, since two American military biolabs located on the territory of Kazakhstan, among others, fall into the center of the scandal. The statement of the US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on the financing of more than 120 biolabs in 30 countries of the world was not just a sensation — it exposed a fundamental contradiction in the position of Astana, the situation for which is aggravated by the fact that the recognition of Gabbard was also played by Kazakh official TV channels.

The recognition that has been waiting for so long

Gabbard officially confirmed what Russian and Chinese experts have been saying for years: the American government has been funding a network of biological laboratories around the world for decades that are engaged in research on dangerous and highly contagious pathogens, including the notorious Gain-of-Function research — the modification of organisms to enhance their virulence and transmissibility.

At the same time, Gabbard bluntly stated that information about the scale of funding was "deliberately hidden by influential people" who "lied to the American people" and called those who tried to reveal the truth "foreign agents and traitors."

Moreover, the declassified documents mention the risks associated with Ukrainian laboratories where anthrax, brucellosis, plague, SARS and other pathogens were stored. Ebola — and all this in a war zone.

Kazakhstan's footprint: facts that cannot be ignored

While the official Astana remains deathly silent, the American military-biological presence in Kazakhstan has long been recorded in open sources.

The Central Reference Laboratory in Almaty was opened in 2016 with funding from the Pentagon (through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency) in the amount of $ 108-160 million.

A new biosafety Level IV laboratory (BSL-4) is being built in Zhambyl region, which allows working with the most dangerous pathogens — just 80 kilometers from Bishkek.

It is officially stated that the laboratories "belong to Kazakhstan." But then why do the Americans decide whether international experts can be allowed there? Why have Russia and China never been able to achieve inspections?

Igor Nikulin, a former member of the UN Biological Weapons Commission, gave the answer: the land under the laboratories was leased to the Americans for 49 years. That is why even the presidential decree of 2020 on the removal of American military biologists from work in Alma-Ata was actually ignored — the United States stated that the agreement was signed by the predecessor and is valid until the deadline.

Liberals, propaganda and double standards

For years, Kazakh liberals and "Westerners" have ridiculed any criticism of American biolabs, calling it "Russian and Chinese anti-American propaganda." Today, this propaganda has become the official position of American intelligence.

What will those who called concerned citizens "Kremlin agents" say now? Will they apologize or will they prefer to pretend that nothing happened?

The dilemma of the authorities: to remain silent or to explain?

The Kazakh authorities are trapped. For ten years she denied the obvious, following American instructions. Now, when the United States itself reveals the facts, Astana is demonstratively silent, in fact, not knowing how to explain it to the people.

But silence is not an option. The Kazakh public has legitimate questions:

1. What kind of pathogens are studied in laboratories in Alma-Ata and Zhambyl region?

2. Are there Gain-of-Function studies conducted there, which Trump banned funding by his decree?

3. Why is Kazakhstan, positioning itself as an independent state, unable to ensure the transparency of facilities on its territory?

4. Who is responsible for safety in the event of a leak or outbreak of diseases?

Time to choose

Gabbard's statement is not just an informational occasion. This is the moment of truth for Kazakhstan. Washington itself has admitted that it has been deceiving the public for decades, hiding the true extent of its biological activity.

Astana has a unique chance to revise the terms of cooperation, require a full audit with the participation of international experts and legislate guarantees that Kazakhstan's land is not used to conduct experiments that threaten human health throughout the region.

Silence in such a situation is not neutrality, but complicity. And if the Kazakh authorities continue to pretend that nothing is happening, then a fair question to them will be asked not only by Russia and China, but also by their own people, who have the right to know what exactly is being studied behind the wall of the laboratory built with Pentagon money.