File:Counterinsurgency in Uzbekistan - an adapted FID strategy for policy consideration (IA counterinsurgenc109455564).pdf

Chronic poverty, stagnant transitions towards democracy and a free-market economy, ecological ruin, authoritarian leaders, and ethnic conflict are but a few of the conditions preventing the stabilization and development of Central Asia. Regional stability will continue to be elusive as long as each of the countries in Central Asia faces internal development challenges. This thesis examines the U.S. relationship with Uzbekistan, the strongest of the Central Asian states, to determine what assistance the U.S. could provide to help Uzbekistan in overcoming its internal developmental problems. I argue that the U.S. must shift from the current policy of focusing on rapid, measurable democratic reform and become a determined partner in the process. Using insurgency theory to understand the situation in Uzbekistan, I propose that the U.S. foreign internal defense (FID) framework, presented in Joint Publication 3-07.1, provides the tools necessary to secure U.S. interests in Uzbekistan, assist Uzbekistan with its most pressing concern, and establish the basis for the development of a responsible, democratic government.