Suchergebnisse

A case study of environmental challenges facing the Central Asia countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, & Tajikistan, points out that a significant portion of the 10.5 million people living in the Ferghana Valley may face forced migration because of environmental degradation, climate change, frequent earthquakes, floods, & landslides. Emphasis is placed on the need for scientific research that identifies, measures, & characterizes environmentally induced migration. Recommendations are made for ways to develop resettlement programs, reduce human vulnerability, forecast future flows, ensure adequate humanitarian responses, & strengthen long-term policies. Adapted from the source document.

Examines the former Soviet republics' search for national identities as independent states; Islamic awakening, economic reforms, ethnic conflicts, democratization, and other issues; 9 articles.

Intro -- CENTRAL ASIA: REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND UNITED STATES INTERESTS AND POLICIES -- CENTRAL ASIA: REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND UNITED STATES INTERESTS AND POLICIES -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- Chapter 1 CENTRAL ASIA: REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR UNITED STATES INTERESTS -- SUMMARY -- MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS -- HISTORICAL BACKGROUND -- OVERVIEW OF US POLICY CONCERNS -- Post-September 11 and Afghanistan -- Support for Operation Iraqi Freedom -- FOSTERING PRO-WESTERN ORIENTATIONS -- Russia's Role -- OBSTACLES TO PEACE AND INDEPENDENCE: REGIONAL TENSIONS AND CONFLICTS -- The 1992-1997 Civil War in Tajikistan -- The 1999, 2000, and 2006 Incursions into Kyrgyzstan -- Attacks in Uzbekistan -- The 2005 Violence in Andijon, Uzbekistan -- The Summer 2009 Suicide Bombings and Attacks in Uzbekistan -- The 2010 Ethnic Clashes in Kyrgyzstan -- Attacks by Jama'at Kyrgyzstan Jaish al-Mahdi in 2010-2011 -- The 2010 Attacks in Tajikistan -- The 2011 Attacks in Kazakhstan -- US Designation of the IMU and IJU as Terrorist Organizations -- DEMOCRATIZATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS -- Recent Developments in Kazakshtan -- Recent Developments in Kyrgyzstan -- Recent Developments in Uzbekistan -- Human Rights -- Kazakhstan and the Presidency of the OSCE -- SECURITY AND ARMS CONTROL -- Programs and Assistance -- Closure of the Karshi-Khanabad Airbase -- Efforts to Improve Security Relations -- The Manas Airbase/Transit Center -- The Manas Transit Center Agreement -- The Status of the Manas Transit Center after the April 2010 Coup -- The December 2010 Congressional Report on Fuel Contracts -- The Northern Distribution Network (NDN) to Afghanistan -- Weapons of Mass Destruction -- TRADE AND INVESTMENT -- Energy Resources -- Kazakhstan's Oil and Gas -- Turkmenistan's Gas -- Uzbekistan -- US AID OVERVIEW -- Congressional Conditions on Kazakh and Uzbek Aid -- LEGISLATION

For its citizens, contemporary Central Asia is a land of great promise and peril. While the end of Soviet rule has opened new opportunities for social mobility and cultural expression, political and economic dynamics have also imposed severe hardships. In this lively volume, contributors from a variety of disciplines examine how ordinary Central Asians lead their lives and navigate shifting historical and political trends. Provocative stories of Turkmen nomads, Afghan villagers, Kazakh scientists, Kyrgyz border guards, a Tajik strongman, guardians of religious shrines in Uzbekistan, and other