Uzbekistan and the United States: Authoritarianism, Islamism and Washington's New Security Agenda »

Shahram Akbarzadeh is a Senior Lecturer in Global Politics at the School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.

Uzbekistan, the most strategically situated Central Asian country, has exhibited the most appalling record on human rights and democratic reforms. Yet, post-September 11, a transformation in US policy has suddenly taken place. US troops are now stationed there; Washington has put the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan on its list of terrorist organizations; and the Bush administration has promised to triple aid to President Karimov's highly authoritarian regime. This unique study explores the centrally important question from a longer-term Uzbek point of view: to what extent are closer ties between Washington and Tashkent contributing to political reforms inside Uzbekistan? Akbarzadeh describes political events since independence, including the emergence of a radical Islamic opposition. He analyzes how September 11 has catalyzed a transformation in Washington's attitude as it perceived a common Islamic enemy, and he examines the possible beginnings in a retreat from Soviet-style politics.