Rand's "Two Years After Andijan: Assessing the Past and Thinking Towards the Future"
This paper is Olga Oliker's testimony presented before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe on May 18, 2007.
Author gives her own explanation of causes of violent opposition.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies...RAND_CT282.pdf
Uzbekistan: Stagnation and Uncertainty
Quote:
Uzbekistan remains a serious risk to itself and its region. While 69-year-old President Islom Karimov shows no signs of relinquishing power, despite the end of his legal term of office more than half a year ago, his eventual departure may lead to a violent power struggle. The economy remains tightly controlled, with regime stalwarts, including the security services and Karimov’s daughter Gulnora, exerting excessive influence, which drives away investors and exacerbates poverty. The human rights situation is grave, and those who seek to flee abroad live in constant danger of attempts to return them forcibly. While the government cites the “war on terror” to justify many policies, its repression may in fact be creating greater future danger. Efforts at international engagement have been stymied by its refusal to reform and to allow an independent investigation of the May 2005 Andijon uprising. Little can be done presently to influence Tashkent but it is important to help ordinary Uzbeks as much as possible and to assist the country’s neighbours build their capacity to cope with the instability that is likely to develop when Karimov goes.
http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/d...ncertainty.pdf
Thanks for Ted's "Stan's radical Islam" posting
Thanks to Ted and all others who have posted to this site topic about Islam today in the Stans and in Russia, too.
Our Bham MOAA Chapter a year or two back had a Montgomery USAF Reserve unit C-130 pilot speak to us about flying into and working out of one of the Stans in support of Afghantisan ops. Very good talk with slides.
The practical educational benefit via this and many other topics here on SWJ are invaluable and I can say at least in my case in this specific instance will shortly be to the attention and more educated by these SWJ comments of our member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, my friend Senator Jeff Sessions.
Keep up the good info which helps all from the lowest level in rank grunt in the field in SW Asia to our top policy makers in the US whether they be in Congress or the White House.