Turkey and Uzbekistan:

The root culture of Central Asia is heavily influenced by Mongol-Turkic roots that extend to the nomadic warrior tribes who ruthlessly dominated the region during the Middle Centuries. The Western notions of human rights and democracy will take more than one generation to germinate, especially in the current unstable conditions of the 'war against terrorism.' The most formidable decision is how the West should promote human rights and civil society in countries without such tradition, especially while fighting extremist organizations who seek to set up fundamentalist governments or radical caliphates across the region. Russia and China, on the other hand, seem eager to support repressive regimes in order to drive out US influence along with its military presence.

The legacy of uncompromising power still dominates the region's politics. In Uzbekistan, the legendary warrior emperor Tamerlaine, who left mountains of skulls outside of resistant conquered cities, remains the national hero. The Uzbek government does not have oil for export and is plagued, with vast poverty. Throughout the bin Laden-Pakistani-Taliban occupation of Afghanistan, and fearing political and economic pressure from Russia and China, the Uzbeks stood by the United States. They offered the US military facilities to deter radical Islamic movements emanating from the Middle East through Afghanistan and Pakistan who could eventually overwhelm the region.
The recent Uzbek shifting of alliance from the US to Russia and China, is related directly to Western human rights concerns regarding the use of force in the Fergana Valley which is home to the fundamentalist Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan [IMU] and Middle Eastern-origin groups such as the Hizb-ut- Tahir.

Turkey has experienced a long and bloody terrorist campaign coasting 37,000 lives has been waged by Kurdish separatist movements, especially the PKK. As a former Turkish Chief of Armed Forces stated in reference to the Kurds, "We live in a tough neighborhood, whoever attempts to compromise appears as weak and invites violence from their neighbors." The growing unpopularity of the United States by our closest allied nation in the region is directly related to perceived US favoritism of the Kurds, who seemingly provide the only somewhat friendly area of operations for US forces inside of neighboring Iraq. In the future, as Russia- China and Iran, expand their 'multi-polar' political and military alliance against the United States, Turkey remains needed as a valuable strategic ally.

The loss of the US K2 in southern Uzbekistan airbase is a major blow to the ability of the US forces to adequately carry out operations in Afghanistan. Given the instability, pro-Taliban networks and duplicity of the Musharraf Pakistani government, it would be a treacherous gamble for US forces to be based in Pakistan. The US bases in Kyrgyzstan are too distant to effectively conduct effective rapid-intervention or timely search and rescue or fire support operations in Afghanistan. Tajikistan has always been the closest ally to Russia in the region and could dismiss Western bases at any time.
 

Afghanistan:

In Afghanistan these days, the repeated 'light at the end of the tunnel' comments by US politicians and military commanders make it difficult to detect fact from fiction. Forecasts of victory have usually preceded a new round of Taliban operational tenacity, terror attacks or more bad news on the opium-production front. Billions of dollars of American aid are being poured into the impoverished country, most of it disappearing into the black holes of Afghan government coffers. Washington and United Nations political pork barrel largesse is being spent on excessively high waged civilian contractors or mercenaries [former US military or law enforcement officials] to prop up a largely unpopular Afghan government, and to public relations firms to sing its praises.

The lack of respect for Hamid Kharzai by his countrymen was epitomized by the US mercenaries being hired as his bodyguards. Kharzai could not find even a handful of trusted warriors from his fiercely ethnic Pashtun tribe to guard him. Meanwhile, the CIA hired former-Taliban or fundamentalist pro- Pakistani warlords to 'hunt for bin Laden' along the Pakistan border. It is still not too late to turn the situation around, but the window of opportunity is rapidly closing.

Recommendations:

1. It is time for Western policy makers to admit that major powers in Central Asia -- so called 'friends,' Russia, China and Pakistan are no friends at all but are working to drive American or pro-Western influence out of the region. Meanwhile, they take advantage of Washington's policy delusions by receiving generous US economic and military assistance.

2. US policy makers must pay attention to the history and cultures of the region in order to integrate more skillfully legitimate needs for human rights, social equity and rule of law into sustainable successful counter-terrorism campaigns.

3. The growing-reliance on contractors and private-sector military professional mercenaries is a threat to American democracy. In addition to being overly expensive, the outsourcing of military jobs in hostile fire zones is a means for government bureaucrats to subvert the Constitutional checks and balances of government.

4. Condoning torture is never good government policy. It has also cost the US credibility when lecturing other countries on their security policies.

5. Active-duty and Reserve US military forces must be more carefully and thoughtfully deployed in well- planned campaigns. This should include incorporating the cultural and political nuances of a given region. The successful Province Reconstruction Groups in Afghanistan is a shining example of the US military performing well. It is essential to conduct military civil affairs and medical civic activities to enhance friendship with local populations. It is ultimately the local communities who must be capable of fighting their own battles, as well as planning and performing cost-effective community development that is affordable and can be sustained.

Email Al Santoli: santoli@asiaamerica.org