Powers swirl around Uzbekistan

[WhiteTara]

These are our new friends, but they don't like us very much either.

The announcement on June 16 that Uzbekistan had banned night flights into and out of the US air base in Khanabad marks the first serious geostrategic fallout from Washington's ambivalent response to the violent suppression by Tashkent of mass protests against the regime of President Islam Karimov in May in the city of Andijan.

snip

As an immediate result of Tashkent's action, Washington has had to move some aircraft to Afghanistan and mount resupply operations from its base in Kyrgyzstan, adding to expenses and detracting from efficiency. From a longer-term perspective, the flight limitations are a signal to Washington that the Karimov regime is prepared to sacrifice US-Uzbek relations and, perhaps, even to eliminate the US military presence in Uzbekistan, if Washington does not give it a free hand in its efforts to suppress dissent.

snip

As an immediate result of Tashkent's action, Washington has had to move some aircraft to Afghanistan and mount resupply operations from its base in Kyrgyzstan, adding to expenses and detracting from efficiency. From a longer-term perspective, the flight limitations are a signal to Washington that the Karimov regime is prepared to sacrifice US-Uzbek relations and, perhaps, even to eliminate the US military presence in Uzbekistan, if Washington does not give it a free hand in its efforts to suppress dissent.

snip

As the biggest prize in the great game, China, Russia, the European Union and the US all have interests and deep involvement in Uzbekistan. The Karimov regime has attempted to play its suitors off against one another, gaining maximum autonomy, trade deals, and economic and military aid.

As one reads the article, we can see where the WORLD war can shape in these places. Sorry the article is so long, these AREN'T US reporters and the paragraphs are longer than one sentence and the whole thing requires one to think. And I'm thinking no good thoughts.
edit to add link
http://atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/GF25Ag01.html
:scared: