Swamp of Terrorism

The author analyzes U.S. foreign policy in Central Asia, focusing on Uzbekistan. The author argues that the U.S. continues to provide support to the oppressive Karimov regime, much as it did with oppressive regimes in the Middle East during the Cold War. By supporting oppressive regimes in the Middle East during the Cold War, the U.S. created a swamp of hatred and animosity toward itself amongst Muslims. This worked to create a large number of radical Islamist fundamentalists who preach hatred of the U.S. and recruit or become terrorists. The author provides evidence that the U.S. is making the same mistakes in its strategy of foreign policy engagement with Uzbekistan, thus creating a new swamp of terrorism in Central Asia.

Autorentext

Shane Tomashot is a History PhD student at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. He taught high school history and government for eight years. His research interests include: Untied States foreign policy, weapons proliferation, and numerous historical topics such as the Enlightenment, Imperialism and World War II.