US to help Kyrgyzstan's new rulers

BISHKEK, Kyrgystan - The United States said on Wednesday it was prepared to help Kyrgyzstan's new rulers, putting pressure on ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who hinted he may attempt to go into exile.

The unrest has disrupted flights from the Kyrgyz air base that the United States rents to support the war in Afghanistan. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that the poor Central Asian state might be on the brink of civil war.

Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake, the most senior US official to visit Bishkek since the April 7 uprising, when troops opened fire on protesters, said he was "optimistic" about the steps taken by the new leadership that ousted Bakiyev.