Uzbekistan's cooperation with U.S.
may result in economic dividends
Story and photos by Scott
Schonauer, Stars and Stripes
Uzbek cotton pickers
collect their money after a long day in the field at Termez, Uzbekistan. |
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — Hospitality is as plentiful as cotton in Uzbekistan. But
the same could be said for bribery — an often-necessary custom in this Central Asian
country.
Transparency International, a Berlin-based watchdog group, had Uzbekistan tied for 71st
(along with India, Honduras and Kazakhstan) in its 2001 Corruption Perceptions Index. The
list features 91 countries.
That’s why when Uzbek leaders opened their airspace, as well as their military
bases for America’s war against terrorism, some observers wondered: What price did
the United States pay for Uzbekistan’s generosity?
There is speculation that Washington might show Tashkent its appreciation in the form
of economic aid. But neither government has announced such a deal or hinted of a similar
American multimillion-dollar aid package promised to Pakistan, a key but fragile U.S.
ally.
President Islam Karimov emphasized during a press conference earlier this month with
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld there has been "no talk of quid pro quos so
far."
But some people are skeptical.
Kenley Butler, a research associate with the Monterey, Calif.-based Center for
Nonproliferation Studies, wrote in an Oct. 11 article on the center’s Web site that
"it is certain that Uzbekistan will obtain security and financial benefits from its
alliance with the United States."
Although there are few details of an Oct. 5 agreement that brought at least 1,000 U.S.
troops to Uzbekistan, Central Asian analysts predict America’s fight against terror
will bring the two countries closer and suggest Uzbekistan could get the better end of the
deal.
Big hand-out?
An Uzbek girl and boy
walk down a street in Termez, Uzbekistan, in front of a Christian church. |
Uzbekistan’s economy might be in for a big boost. The country could use it.
Despite having a robust gold mining industry and being the world’s fifth-largest
cotton producer, the country has watched foreign investors flee the country in the last
two years. The slow pace of economic reform and the Uzbek government’s refusal to
allow the free convertibility of the som, the country’s currency, are the main
reasons for the exodus, economists say.
Martin Spechler, an economic professor at Indiana University and a Central Asia expert,
said he doubts the United States will open up the checkbook for Uzbekistan like it did for
Pakistan. That is because Washington will be reluctant to dish out aid to a country slow
to economic reform.
While the Uzbek government has talked about transforming its economy, it continues to
meddle in the private sector, stunting the growth of small and big business. If government
officials refuse to make sweeping changes, Spechler said giving aid to Uzbekistan would do
little help.
"I’m sure we’ve promised something to the government, but it is probably
mostly in the form of protection," Spechler said.
Guarding against threats
With Afghanistan to the south and Tajikistan to the east, security is a main concern
for Uzbekistan. And the United States could offer additional protection.
In the last three years, Uzbek authorities have had to deal with Islamic extremists
from neighboring countries and within their own borders.
An insurgency by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, or IMU, has been the biggest
worry. The group is blamed for a series of bombings in Tashkent in 1999. The IMU also is
believed to have ties with Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network, which the United
States accuses of masterminding the Sept. 11 terror attacks. And a Western source said it
is possible that some members might be fighting with the Taliban.
Another radical Islamic group, the Hizb-ut-Tahrir, has conducted a non-violent campaign
to oust Karimov and establish an Islamic caliphate in Central Asia. There are fears that
young students gravitating to the group could eventually turn to violence to reach their
goal.
Vows of retribution leveled by the Taliban against Uzbekistan for its support of
America’s war against terrorism only add to security fears.
Having U.S. troops in Uzbekistan could take the pressure off the country’s
military and add more stability in an unstable region. Security concerns have drained many
of Uzbekistan’s resources.
"We need to defend ourselves," said Azamat Igamberdiev, a hotel manager in
the city of Karshi, where about 1,000 U.S. troops from the 10th Mountain Division are
based. "That’s why the economy is developing slower than the military."
Silencing rights critics
The Uzbek government, however, could gain more than financial aid and security in its
new alliance: a break in criticism by foreign governments, especially the United States,
of its abysmal human rights record.
Human rights activists fear Uzbekistan will use this as an opportunity to expand its
crackdown on religious groups.
The government has jailed hundreds of devout Muslims for simply passing out religious
literature, activists say. The concern is that police could round up innocent Muslims, and
Washington would look the other way.
"With Uzbekistan joining this war on terrorism, it could give them the green light
to expand its oppression," said David Hunsicker Jr., a University of Washington
graduate student living in Uzbekistan who is researching Islam for his doctorate degree.
Many Uzbeks, however, hope peace might be the biggest benefit. If the Taliban is ousted
and a broad-based government is implemented, it could open up trade routes that have been
closed for years.
Since the Taliban took over in 1997, Uzbekistan’s border with Afghanistan has been
closed.
"The first benefit is getting rid of international terrorism," said Nazar
Hakimovich, deputy governor for the Kashkardarya region. "The second benefit is
peace. If there is no peace, there is no development."
RELATED STORY:
U.S.-Uzbekistan
alliance may have its risks
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