DUSHANBE, June 14, 2016, Asia-Plus — An article titled “U.S. Signals Greater Focus On Central Asian Security” that was posted on
EurasiaNet.org
on June 13 quoted Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Daniel Rosenblum as saying that the U.S.”s primary interests in Central Asia are making sure the region doesn”t become a terrorist sanctuary and protecting it from Russian influence. The statement reportedly suggests a shift in Washington toward a Central Asia policy oriented toward security and away from political reforms and human rights.
U.S. official statements about Central Asia policy usually describe Washington”s interests as threefold: promoting political and economic reform, developing the region”s oil and gas resources, and improving security.
Speaking at a congressional hearing last week, Rosenblum noted that the United States has two fundamental, long-term national security interests in Central Asia. The first one goes back decades, to the breakup of the Soviet Union, when, with strong bipartisan support from Congress, the United States set out to support the effort by the nations of Central Asia to establish independent, sovereign states, capable of pursuing their own policies and interests free from undue external interference or intimidation. “The stability of those sovereign and independent nations is our second primary interest in the region: we seek to prevent violence and the emergence of conditions that could result in states becoming havens for terrorist groups hostile to the United States.”
Rosenblum also highlighted increases in State Department aid for all five Central Asian republics. The proposed aid budget for fiscal year 2017 is $51.8 million for Kyrgyzstan, a 39 percent increase from last year; $41.6 million for Tajikistan (a 44 percent increase); $11.6 million for Uzbekistan (a nine percent increase); $8.8 million for Kazakhstan (a five percent increase); and $4.8 million for Turkmenistan (a 43 percent increase).
The aid seems to be most heavily focused on job creation and good governance. In Kyrgyzstan, which can claim to be relatively democratic, the State Department is directed toward those democratic institutions.
In Tajikistan, there wasn”t even an attempt to suggest that the U.S. would try to promote democracy. “Our FY 2017 request … will help the government and the private sector address growing shortages in areas of basic need, including food, education, and healthcare,” Rosenblum said. “In addition, our resources will go toward improving Tajikistan’s state institutions, as a more effective, accountable, and transparent government can better protect public safety and respond to crises. What’s more, improved government capacity, a better business environment, a more vibrant private-sector, and the opportunity for skills development will allow more Tajiks to find work in their own country, where they are less vulnerable to recruitment and radicalization by violent extremists. Our resources will also go toward enhancing the capacity and professionalism of Tajikistan’s military, law enforcement, and border security forces.”
