U S Interests In Central Asia And The Challenges To Them

The author assesses the interests of the United States in Central Asia and the challenges to them. These challenges consist of the revival of the Taliban, Russo-Chinese efforts to oust U.S. strategic presence from the area, and the possibility of internal instability generated by the regression of local regimes form democratizing and liberalizing policies. The author then recommends policies designed to meet those challenges to American policy in this increasingly more important area of the world.

For the United States, Central Asia is a region of both growing importance and of growing challenge. Its proximity to Russia, China, Iran, India, and Pakistan;, location as the center of the Global War on Terrorism; and its large energy holdings make it a strategic region where the United States has important, some might even say vital, interests. Those interests pertain, first of all, to geostrategic realities of security, particularly in the war on terrorism. But they also pertain to energy and to the effort to support liberalizing and democratizing reforms. However, today those interests are challenged by Russo-Chinese and Iranian opposition to U.S. presence there, those governments' and local regimes' resistance to reform, and the revival of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Therefore we need to assess how those challenges are manifesting themselves and how America best might adapt to meet them and pursue its interests with greater success.

The disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 rapidly and irrevocably transformed Central Asia's political landscape. This region of five sovereign states with a population of some fifty million people quickly became a major focus of interest and influence for competing poles of power. The eminent contributors to this volume offer a four-part analysis of the region's new importance in world affairs. Rajan Menon examines the place of Central Asia in a global perspective. Eugene Rumer considers the perspective of the post-9/11 United States. Dmitri Trenin looks at the region from the standpoint of traditional hegemon Russia. Huasheng Zhao provides the view from economic superpower-in-the-making China.

Contents: (1) Most Recent Developments; (2) Historical Background; (3) Overview of U.S. Policy Concerns: Post-9/11 and Afghanistan; Support for Oper. Iraqi Freedom; (4) Fostering Pro-Western Orientations: Russia¿s Role; (5) Obstacles to Peace and Independence: Regional Tensions and Conflicts: The 1992-1997 Civil War in Tajikistan; The Incursions into Kyrgyzstan; Attacks in Uzbekistan; The 2005 Violence in Andijon, Uzbekistan; The Summer 2009 Suicide Bombings and Attacks in Uzbekistan; Actions of the IMU and IJU in Pakistan and Afghanistan; Actions of the IMU and IJU in Germany and Elsewhere; (6) Human Rights and Democratization; (7) Security and Arms Control; (8) Trade and Invest.; Energy Resources; (9) U.S. Aid; (10) Legislation.

As Secretary of State Colin Powell told the House International Relations Committee in February 2002, the United States "will have a continuing interest and presence in Central Asia of a kind that we could not have dreamed of before." After providing background on the development of U.S. security interests in Central Asia, this monograph examines post-9/11 trends in U.S. policy and military engagement. In the 1990s the United States initiated military engagement with Central Asia to support the region's integration with western political-military institutions, as well as to protect the sovereignty and independence of these states, assist them to improve their border security against transnational threats, encourage them to adopt market-oriented reform and democratization, and ensure access to energy resources in the region. U.S. military cooperation expanded rapidly with Central Asian states in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 due to the framework of relations that had been built piecemeal in the 1990s. For the first time the United States acquired temporary basing in this region in response to a changing security environment, as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan became frontline states in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Anti-terrorism became the central focus of U.S. policy in the region, although other goals still remain important. The author argues that by placing a priority on anti-terrorism in U.S. policy toward Central Asia and rewarding Central Asian leaders for basing rights, the Bush administration is shoring up authoritarian regimes and encouraging public distrust of U.S. intentions in the region. She points out that weak regional security organizations, contingent support in Russia and China to the expanding American military foothold in the region, and instability in Central Asia will pose considerable challenges for the U.S. military. In conclusion, the author recommends an emphasis on rapid deployment from existing bases in Turkey rather than continued basing in Central Asia, a more coherent regional strategy and improved foreign area expertise for the Central Asian region, and a multilateral approach to addressing instability in the area.

Central Asia's importance to the U.S. is rooted in the following three facts: its proximity to Afghanistan and thus the seat of the Taliban and Al-Qaida that have attacked us and will do so again; its proximity to key states like Russia, Iran and China, and the Indian subcontinent; and its large energy deposits which are becoming critical for Europe. These facts have led every administration since 1993 to advance broad geostrategic goals for Central Asia. This book explores the Central Asian country backgrounds of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Also discussed are the challenges and opportunities for the Obama Administration in Central Asia; Central Asian security issues and U.S. policy in Central Asia.