Will US Push For Uzbek Freedom?

"Open your eyes!" said Jeremy of the of the blog Modleft to me regarding my posts on Uzbekistan. "The Bush administration are apologists for this brutal regime, condemning the police then giving them money, toning down state department criticism and providing 100s of millions of dollars in aid and, in response to the recent atrocities, blaming the victims."

His point is that the Bush doctrine is applied with a lighter hand as one moves closer to the fronts of the War on Terror, and he's right. But being overly critical of that fact is wrong.

Were we to treat Islam Karimov, the tinpot dictator of Uzbekistan, as we treat the tinpot dictator of, say, Belarus, we would be putting our troops in harm's way, and not doing that is Rule Number 1. So on the surface at least, Karimov will be cut some slack.

But two things will happen. First, we will continue to apply pressure in ways America didn't apply pressure previously, as explained in today's State Department press briefing:

QUESTION: I figured out the other day, not in a very scientific way, that you withheld about five percent of their assistance since the new phase in the relationship started about four years ago. Have you done anything else to hold their feet to the fire with respect to reform?

MR. BOUCHER: First of all, there's been a very consistent aspect of our meetings and our diplomacy with Uzbekistan and with the leaders there. It's something our Embassy has worked hard on, to press for reform and press for more openness, transparency and tolerance in that society.

Second of all, it is something where we have used the aid program to try to support civil society and journalism and the other aspects of civic life that build a healthy, more open and transparent society. So I think both in terms of withholding some of the money or redirecting some of the money to nongovernmental organizations and in terms of the kind of ways that we spend our money both on supporting reforms, supporting civil society, I think the United States has a very consistent and good record.

Second, each time a dictator falls and freedom blossoms with the blessings of America, it will embolden the people of Uzbekistan. The biggest error Bush the second could make would be to repeat the error Bush the first made when he abandoned the people of Iraq and let Saddam squelch them.

I'm sure the president understands that, and I'm sure our ambassador to Uzbekistan has made it clear to Karimov that last week's massacre will have consequences, and a repeat of it will force America's hand. Karimov has seen the hand. He's seen Belarus and Lebanon. He knows his options are limited.

See also:
Leftist Views On Uzbekistan
Up Close And Personal In Uzbekistan