Eurasia Task Force Concludes U.S.-Central Asia Relations Need Rebalancing

By Rob Sanna- Talk Radio News

U.S. relations with Central Asia can be improved by inviting local leaders to Washington, making strong statements demonstrating U.S support, and supporting border security to prevent terrorists and extremists from entering new democracies and the spread of illicit material, according to a new report from the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Task Force.

“It is a region that presents tremendous opportunity for democracy, security, energy production, for cooperation,” Chuck Hagel, a former Republican Senator from Nebraska and current chairman of the Council, said during a discussion on the report Monday.

Former Ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan Ross Wilson, who joined Hagel, noted that the United States has a history of providing aid for countries in central Asia because many of them were formed when the Soviet Union fell and they were very unstable.

Today, he argues, the United States are in a similar position except now the primary concern is ensuring that these new democracies are protected against terrorism, narcotics, and other destabilizing factors overflowing from Afghanistan.

Ross also pointed out that during the nineties, the region received plenty of personal and active diplomacy that involved high profile policy makers from the United States getting involved with the issues in the various new countries.

More recently, the dialogue has primarily been coming from the U.S. Military asking for basing, overflight rights, and other support while the civilian government demands democratic measures be put in place.

Ross argues that this policy has created an impression with local leaders that the U.S. only has its own interests in mind and not the interests of the region.

Russia dominates Central Asia through oil policies

Dr. Stephen Blank, Professor at the U.S. Army War College, speaks about Russia's domination of Central Asia's oil markets through the use of pipelines.

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

Former USSR upcoming oil source

Noting Americans’ concern about oil prices, the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee met to discuss energy potential in the Central Asian states. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) said that Central Asia is strategic to US energy security. In his submitted statement, Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) said that Central Asian states would benefit by lessening their reliance on Russia and increasing trade relations with Europe and North America.

Lugar stated that finishing the East-West corridor, a pipeline that would carry oil from the Caspian Sea region to European markets, should become a priority of the transatlantic community. He advocated increasing diplomacy with Kazakhstan, supporting democratic transitions in the region, and linking energy from the Caspian Sea with Central Europe directly.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, former national security adviser to President Carter, attended the hearing to discuss US relations with Russia. Brzezinski spoke of a long-term relationship between North America, Europe, and Russia, a relationship he characterized as “Vancouver to Vladivostok.” In this agreement, Brzezinski said that both sides would benefit; Russia would provide energy resources while Europe and North America would supply the necessary infrastructure. Brzezinski said that Russia’s desire to maintain a monopoly on Central Asia and repeatedly cutting energy to the Baltic states damage the potential of this relationship.

Brzezinski also spoke briefly on US relations with Iran. Brzezinski said that the US must recognize Iran’s energy potential, stating that Iran’s government is losing support among its modern and sophisticated youth. Brzezinski added that a military conflict with Iran would not only be extraordinarily destabilizing to the United States in the short run, but that it would also cause the US to become caught in conflict over a large region stretching from Iraq to Pakistan.