The Spoils Of War

NATO will need rail lines and good roads out of Afghanistan. The New York Times

As NATO Prepares for Afghan Withdrawal, Uzbekistan Seeks War’s Leftovers -- New York Times

MOSCOW — With planning for the Western military withdrawal from Afghanistan in full swing, officials in Uzbekistan want to make a deal: we will provide the roads out if you leave some of those extra vehicles and supplies behind for us.

Uzbek officials have quietly contacted American, German and British officials with the offer, in their latest bid to supplement their military despite international embargoes, according to officials in NATO countries, human rights advocates and German news reports. On the wish list are armored vehicles, mine detectors, helicopters, navigation equipment and night-vision goggles — used and dusty would be fine.

It is a proposal that has won the attention of Western capitals and that is said to have annoyed the Kremlin enough that it is pushing through an arms deal with Uzbekistan’s neighbor, Kyrgyzstan.

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My Comment: Uzbekistan has one of the worst human rights records in Central Asia .... but I do predict that an agreement will still be reached where some military equipment will be left behind in order to use Uzbekistan's road network.

Uzbekistan To Ban Foreign Military Bases

Uzbekistan, Key To Afghan War Draw-Down, To Ban Foreign Military Bases -- Christian Science Monitor

Uzbekistan, which is seeking closer ties to the US, may have made the move in a bid to ease concerns of China and Russia, which are both dominant actors in Central Asia.

Today, Uzbekistan’s upper house of parliament approved a new bill banning any foreign military bases on its territory in what appears to be an effort to appease regional power Moscow.

The bill still has to be signed by Uzbekistan’s president. But it appears to quash growing rumors that Tashkent may allow the US to open a military base in Uzbekistan to replace the major air base in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, which is due to close in 2014. It also raises questions about Uzbekistan’s support of the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan.

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My Comment: Another monkey-wrench thrown into U.S./NATO post-2014 Afghan plans.

Uzbekistan Withdraws From Russia-Lead Military Alliance CSTO

Uzbekistan Withdraws From Russia-Lead Military Alliance -- The Telegraph

Uzbekistan has withdrawn from a Russia-lead military alliance of former Soviet states, triggering a wave of speculation that it wants closer ties with the US.

Strategically located on the southern fringe of Central Asia, Uzbekistan is an important but controversial partner for the West, which needs its support to withdraw military kit from neighbouring Afghanistan from 2014.

The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) didn’t give any official reasons for Uzbekistan’s withdrawal from the alliance when it announced the news in Moscow last Thursday but analysts and commentators were quick to describe it as a move towards the US.

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Update: Tashkent deserts CSTO - again -- Asia Times

My Comment: Uzbekistan has always had an independent streak .... playing both sides when it is convenient for them.

After It's Fallout With Pakistan, The U.S. Is Looking For New Allies

US Finds New Friend In Uzbekistan After Pakistan Fallout -- The Telegraph

President Obama has asked Uzbekistan to expand its role in resupplying troops in Afghanistan as Washington tries to reduce its dependence on Pakistan.

The past fortnight has seen relations between Islamabad and Washington sink to new lows over allegations that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency was working with the Haqqani network to direct attacks on American targets in Afghanistan.

The crisis, the latest in a turbulent year, has seen both countries scrambling to build up alternative regional alliances.

However, more than a third of supplies to Nato forces in Afghanistan pass through Pakistan, giving Islamabad a strong bargaining position.

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My Comment: Going to the Devil that you do not know rather than the Devil that you know .... sighhhh .... there are no good options for the U.S. in this region.

Uzbekistan's President Accuses The West Of Funding Arab Revolts

Uzbek President Accuses The West Of Funding Arab Revolts -- The Telegraph

Uzbekistan's autocratic President has accused the West of funding this year's Arab uprisings to gain access to oil, gas and mineral reserves.

"The Arab countries where the unrest happened have huge reserves of natural resources, including oil and gas," Islam Karimov said in a broadcast on the anniversary of the end of the Second World War. "If there had been no foreign influence or large foreign financing, there would have been no riots on that scale."

Mr Karimov, 73, has kept an iron grip on the impoverished Central Asian nation since before the fall of the Soviet Union. In 2005, he faced international condemnation for the brutal suppression of a revolt in the city of Andijan, which left hundreds dead.

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My Comment: Like all autocrats .... they prefer to blame outsiders rather than themselves for the dissent that they may have to face from their countrymen. Uzbekistan's autocratic President Karimov fits into this mold perfectly.