Extent of US aid to Uzbekistan revealed

New York Times: Uzbek Ministries in Crackdown Received U.S. Aid

Here is a key quote.

The United States has worked closely with Uzbekistan, a corrupt and autocratic state with a chilling human rights record, in the fight against international terrorism. It has also tried to professionalize the Uzbek military, improve its border security and help secure materials that could be used in nuclear, chemical or biological weapons - areas of engagement that American officials say are of clear national interest.

Note the naked admission that Uzbekistan violates the human rights of its citizens and possesses WMD materials. These were traits US officials attributed to Iraq before they invaded that country. However, in the case of Uzbekistan, it is in the US ``national interest'' to support this regime.

In that regard, the US has been involved in the training of Uzbek units known as ``Bars'' and ``Skorpion'', which evidently were involved in the May 13 massacre. But there is a cloak of ``uncertainty'' conveyed by the article due to parsing of who did, or did not receive US ``counterterrorism'' training. The truth emerges later in the article that a ``myriad'' of people and programs were involved, so in my opinion there is really no way to separate US involvement from the actions of the Uzbek personnel.

Furthermore, I note how the Times attributes only the noblest of intentions as the wagers the US military places in Uzbekistan form an ``implicit gamble in giving security help to a repressive state''. Perhaps the Times should investigate whether or not the repression really matters all that much to US strategists.