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Friday, May 20, 2005The latest on Uzbekistan at Instapundit brings to mind a question about our dealing with rogue regimes: How can the U.S. stay true to its word and still take advantage of short term alliances with the likes of Karimov?I only see one answer, and it's one that will make both the thugs and the realpolitik types nervous. Here's the formula: Brutish nations that work in alliance with the United States on issues critical to U.S. national security may consider themselves to have bought time in which to effect reforms and in ways which will minimize the danger of retribution against former tyrants when they relinquish power. This is what we need to make explicit: that help is appreciated, and if you give it, we'll work to keep them from dragging your body through the streets when the revolution comes. But we aren't stopping the revolution and we are in fact encouraging it through all back channels available. In the past, the U.S. has simultaneously worked with the Karimov government and supported people making life difficult for it. One hopes that while we're limited in our actions till our airbase is secured, we're still giving aid and comfort to Karimov's opposition as best we can without getting people killed launching a revolution that we're not yet able to back them on. The Bush administration is justifiably catching hell for not being as staunch a democracy advocate in Uzbekistan as he was in Georgia. But he is at least doing better than his father. He isn't raising the expectation that the U.S. will physically back dissident efforts, only to get people shot when we don't. 
posted by gbarto at 2:18 PM |
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