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Central Asia Geopolitics and U.S. Policy in the Region: The
Post-11 September Era
Subodh Atal
Mediterranean Quarterly
Duke University Press
Volume 14, Number 2, Spring 2003
pp. 95-109
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Mediterranean Quarterly
14.2 (2003) 95-109
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Central Asian Geopolitics and U.S.
Policy in the Region:
The Post-11 September Era
Subodh Atal
Mediterranean Quarterly
The Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan emerged from the breakup of the Soviet
Empire in 1991. The region has generated global interest due to its energy potential and geostrategic significance. Kazakhstan and
Turkmenistan host large energy reserves. The landlocked region is flanked by the volatile Middle East to the west, Russia to the north,
China to the east, and the Indian subcontinent to the south. As a result of its geographical location, the region has collected many diverse
ethnic, religious, and cultural influences over the centuries. Despite its assets, the Central Asian states face significant challenges of
poverty, political repression, and Islamic fundamentalism.
The Russian conquerors of Central Asia were interested primarily in its abundant resources. Stalin carved up the region by drawing
arbitrary lines to create the five republics that eventually became independent in the Soviet breakup. The Soviet era also saw a resettling
of millions of Russians in the region and the forced adoption of the Russian language. The Soviets preferred to tap into Siberian rather than
Central Asian natural fuel resources, and any pipelines coming out of Central Asia traveled north into Russia. Religious-sectarian conflict
has centered mainly on the Ferghana Valley and the nations that share the valley's territory: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. A er
independence, the region was inundated with Muslim clerics, funds, and literature from Islamic countries. This external influence
combined with weak economic conditions—a stark rich-poor divide and
[End Page 95]
political repression—led to a rapid mushrooming
of Islamic fundamentalism. Groups like the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Hizb-ut-Tahrir have wide following in the region.
The geostrategic significance of the region attracts the intersecting interests of various other powers, including the United States, China,
Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and India. The United States aims to secure an alternative source for energy, help Central Asia gain
autonomy from Russia's hegemony, block Iran's influence, and promote political and economic freedoms. A U.S. military presence has
significantly changed the strategic environment in the region. The new regional equations o er opportunities to the United States, but
also risks of entanglement in the multidimensional matrix of Central Asia's so-called Great Game.
The Central Asian Nations
Kazakhstan is the largest and the richest of the five countries of Central Asia, with abundant natural resources. There is a significant
Russian minority in the northern part; Islamic influence is confined to the south. Post-11 September ties with the United States have
strengthened but have not resulted in an easing of the tight dictatorial control of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has perpetuated
his rule through electoral manipulationand political repression.
With limited oil and natural gas reserves, Kyrgysztan's economic situation is weak, and the nation has been heavily dependent on Russia.
At one time Kyrgyzstan was regarded as the most politically and economically progressive of all Central Asian nations. However, the
industrial base and economy are shrinking, while President Askar Akaev's relatives enjoy privileged access to business opportunities. The
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
[End Page 96]
(IMU) and drug tra ickers have exploited Kyrgyzstan's weak state apparatus in the
Ferghana Valley. Resistance to the government, and repression, have accelerated since spring 1992, when the jailing of an opposition
legislator who protested a charitable border deal with China prompted mass demonstrations. Kyrgyzstan came to international attention
in 1999, when the IMU kidnapped dozens of people, including several Japanese geologists, and demanded the establishment of a regional
Islamic state. Uzbek military planes bombed Kyrgyz hideouts of the IMU, touching o regional tensions. Kyrgyz territory has also been used
by Uighur Islamic separatists for incursions. The establishment of a U.S. military base near the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek holds out some
promise for reducing Kyrgyz dependence on Russia, but so far, increased U.S. military ties have not led Kyrgyzstan to...
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Additional Information
ISSN
1527-1935
Print ISSN
1047-4552
Pages
pp. 95-109
Launched on MUSE
2003-05-28
Open Access
No
Archive Status
Archived 2019
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