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Unstable Uzbekistan
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Unstable Uzbekistan
Since the 11 September 2001 attacks, Uzbekistan - Central Asia's most populous state - has played a central role in US policy in the region. JID has commissioned this exclusive report on Washington's increasingly unstable ally.
The alliance has flourished since the USA negotiated the use of what were termed 'short-term' bases to launch the successful attack to topple the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Russia also supported this 'temporary' arrangement owing to the threat posed to Moscow's security interests in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) by radical Islamic militant groups.
Prior to the 11 September 2001 attacks, the Uzbek administration was already covertly supporting the Uzbek elements of the Northern Alliance led by General Abdul Rashid Dostam. These connections and military ties proved crucial in launching the US-led campaign to oust the Taliban.
However, more recently, Russia has become increasingly concerned that the 'short term' nature of the US-Uzbek relationship looks set to become a far more permanent feature in the region. JID has been informed by reliable sources that the USA is currently considering converting its existing facilities in Uzbekistan into what will amount to a longer-term presence. In the light of both regional and domestic instability, the Uzbek authorities have proved highly receptive to this idea.
On the eve of last month's visit by US secretary of defence, Donald Rumsfeld, to Uzbekistan, the Uzbek foreign minister Sadiq Safayev was quoted as stating that he did "not rule out the possibility that the US military base would be allowed to stay in Uzbekistan on a permanent basis." If so, this would constitute the first long term US military base in the CIS. Moscow fears that this could lead to Georgia and Azerbaijan following suit in offering to host either US or NATO bases on their territory. Such developments would pose a direct challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin's aim of re-establishing Russia's influence in what the Kremlin regards as 'the near abroad' - Russia's own backyard.
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