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Saving Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan has lost control of a significant part of its country. Initial violence has caused many hundreds of deaths and, as of the latest count, over 400,000 refugees. This from a population of five million. Washington is obsessed with Afghanistan, and though the Americans have a major base in Kyrgyzstan at Manas, they seem disinclined to do very much. They may have given up hope for the base, but they are clearly not interested in getting involved with Kyrgyzstans police and military, whom they seem to regard as feckless at best. Kyrgyzstan is a major stop in the drug road from Afghanistan. Much of Afghanistans opiates are trucked and flown in to the south of Kyrgyzstan. The chances are, in fact, that drug dealers have been active in the violence. Much of the drugs move straight on -- to Russia, which already has an enormous problem both with drugs and intravenously transmitted H.I.V./AIDS, and to China, which is developing the same problem. Southern Kyrgyzstan is also a transit route for another commodity the West fears: Islamist fighters. They move to and from Afghanistan, on their way to Uzbekistan just across the border, but also to Western Europe. It is already a comfortable stop along their long march. A country without a government will make for an even friendlier environment. NYT author lets bleeding heart reach conclusions, but that doesn't mean the problem doesn't exist. Funny how frequently drugs and oil and terrorists keep showing up in the same places. We could do something about drugs and oil if we had the will and the terrorist problem might solve itself. Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-06-21 |
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