Uzbekistan: Northern supply route to Afghanistan opens (full text)
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It was announced on March 17 that the first containers had reached Kabul (the capital of Afghanistan) via a new northern supply route through Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Gen. Duncan McNabb, the commander of US Transportation Command, stated that shipments using the route were intended to provide 100 containers per day to NATO forces in Afghanistan. Only non-lethal supplies could be moved on the route under the terms of an agreement with the countries involved. US planners hoped to move as much cargo as possible via Uzbekistan, bypassing the dangerous and expensive alternative route through Pakistan.
Immediate Context
The need for a new supply route through Central Asia and Russia grew out of the increased logistical requirements of US forces entailed by US President Barack Obama's plan to increase troop numbers in Afghanistan by 21,000. This boost in troop numbers was intended to improve a situation Obama had described as "increasingly perilous". The extra personnel were needed for improving security, promoting development, and training the Afghan army and police. The search for a new overland supply route became increasingly pressing with the reduction in airfreight options arising from the expulsion of US forces from the airbases of Karshi-Khanabad in Uzbekistan and Manas in Kyrgyzstan. There were also a number of militant attacks on the overland supply route from Pakistan, or southern route, which destroyed military material and trucks and killed civilian contractors.
The attacks on the supply route through Pakistan and the Khyber Pass grew in number and intensity in the last 12 months. An attack on NATO supply depots in Peshawar, Pakistan, in December 2008 destroyed 300 trucks and Humvee military vehicles and truck drivers subsequently refused to drive along the route due to the risk of attack. In response to the increasing insecurity, Pakistani forces launched an offensive along the supply route but militant attacks resumed after the offensive was completed. On Feb. 9, militants destroyed a road bridge in the Khyber Pass region bringing supply convoys to a halt.
Uzbekistan's support for the new northern supply route was equivocal with President Islam Karimov only publicly pledging his support at the end of February. The US had little choice in courting Uzbekistan as the only rail link into Afghanistan ran through the country. The agreement to the creation of the route was seen by observers as a sign of Uzbekistan's realignment towards the West. This was due in part to Russia's declining influence as its economy was damaged by the economic downturn. While Uzbekistan was offered increased development aid and cargo transit fees from the US-led alliance operating in Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan's relationship with the USA and EU was strong after the invasion of Afghanistan as Uzbekistan offered the use of its airspace and an airbase for supply routes. The relationship soured after US and EU criticisms of the Uzbek government's human rights record, especially following the suppression of the Andizhan uprising in May 2005, culminating in an EU arms embargo against Uzbekistan. The Uzbek authorities subsequently expelled US forces from the Karshi-Khanabad airbase in July 2005.
Reaction and Outlook
The Russia authorities supported the opening of the supply route, having permitted the use of the Russian rail network for NATO shipments. The Russian government was also believed by observers to have influenced the foreign policies of the Central Asian countries to accept the route, pushing them towards agreement. As published by The Guardian on March 30, Parviz Mullajanov, an expert in international affairs based in Dushanbe (the capital of Tajikistan), commented that: "Since 2001 the Americans have had the upper hand in Central Asia. Now the Russians are getting back what the Americans have lost ... Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has managed to preserve its leading position in Central Asia".
The improvement in Uzbek relations with the USA and NATO was unlikely to herald better observation of human rights by the government of Uzbekistan. In 2004, the US department of state published Country report on Human Rights Practices in Uzbekistan, which reported that "the government's human rights record remained very poor; although there were some improvements; it continued to commit numerous serious abuses".
Despite EU and US criticism of the shooting of demonstrators in Andizhan, the EU has loosened its sanctions against Uzbekistan and the USA has re-engaged with the Uzbek government.
Historical Context
The region which is now Uzbekistan is believed to have been populated since the second millennium BC. The area was conquered by both Alexander the Great, and later it became part of the Persian and Mongolian empires. In the 14th century, Uzbekistan became part of the Timurid empire led by Tamerlane, with Samarkand -- now Uzbekistan's second largest city -- as the capital of the empire.
By 1876, Russia incorporated the region into its empire, and by the beginning of the 20th century, Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, became part of the Societ Union, with the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic created on Oct 27, 1924. Uzbekistan emerged as an independent state in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Karimov, then the Communist Party First Secretary in Uzbekistan, declared himself president. After forcibly suppressing pro-democracy demonstrations he won the country's first presidential election in December 1991 with 86 per cent of the vote. Dissent remained strongly suppressed with most power vested in the executive. Only parties supporting President Karimov were allowed to participate in elections.
Bomb attacks causing multiple fatalities in 1999 and 2004 were blamed on Islamists by the authorities and some Western media sources. Such attacks were almost invariably followed by the conviction of alleged Islamists but human rights groups have condemned many of the trials as deeply flawed. The Uzbek government's concern about Islamist militancy contributed to its support for the US-led invasion of Afghanistan to oust the Talibaan regime in 2001.
The USA was allowed to rent the Karshi-Khanabad airbase and station 800 personnel there, opening a valuable supply route to Afghanistan. In exchange for this support the USA provided large amounts of aid to Uzbekistan and offered security co-operation.
In 2005 US-Uzbek relations broke down following the suppression of a popular uprising in May 2005 in the town of Andizhan, resulting in the deaths of many civilians. The Uzbek government responded by withdrawing the use of its airspace and facilities. In contrast Russia, which had not criticised the government's actions in Andizhan, provided funds to offset the loss of Western aid. However, Russian support for Uzbekistan declined following the 2008 economic recession.
