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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010230577 | JZ1480.A55 C76 2006 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
Is the United States, in its fight against terror and pursuit of Osama Bin Laden, recklessly creating conditions in Central Asia to produce the next Bin Laden? Matthew Crosston studies this controversial argument in his political analysis of US foreign policy on Central Asia. He looks specifically at the 'no-man's land nexus' connecting Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and the heart of Central Asian Islamic radicalism - the Fergana Valley. This book breaks new ground by examining in unflinching detail the unwitting role US foreign policy plays in fomenting that 'hot zone' and extremism, producing a new generation of Islamic radicals. University courses that deal with US foreign policy, international security, terrorism and/or Eurasian politics will want to make this book required reading.
Author Notes
Matthew Crosston is Professor of International Relations and Comparative Politics at Clemson University, USA. He specializes in the problems of democratization, terrorism and corruption and has been invited to speak throughout Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. He has a PhD from Brown University with additional degrees from the University of London and Colgate University.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
During the Cold War, Soviet Central Asia remained largely unknown to the vast majority of people in the West. This was even the case with respect to many American Soviet experts whose specialization was centered essentially on the Slavic, especially Russian, core of the Soviet Union. The events of 9/11 catapulted the region into the forefront of international politics as the US gained unprecedented access to military fields in Central Asian countries and recruited their governments to join Washington's war on terrorism. As this thoroughly researched and finely crafted book by Crosston (Clemson Univ.) demonstrates, the US soon found itself confronted with pursuing two contradictory objectives: supporting pro-Western Central Asian dictatorships while paying lip service to the promotion of democratic ideals. In the end, security considerations trumped policies aimed at promoting human rights and democracy in the region. This, in turn, may sow further seeds of terrorism and instability in Central Asia. In addition to examining US foreign policy in Central Asia, the author analyzes internal political dynamics and the constellation of domestic forces in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. He also provides an up-to-date, highly informative account of sociopolitical conditions in each of these states. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. N. Entessar University of South Alabama
Table of Contents
| Introduction: the global war on terror and emerging threats |
| Wonka vision: spreading democracy or seeding new terror? |
| Central Asia and the Ferghana Valley: a no man's land for terror |
| Kyrgyzstan: misreading a revolution |
| Tajikistan: coalition via spin-control |
| Uzbekistan: A cloud-cuckoo-land place |
| Inside the cauldron of the Hizb ut-Tahrir |
| Conclusion: building new bin Ladens |
| Appendix |
| Bibliography |
| Index |
