Michael Andersen

Base motives

Michael Andersen on the double standards behind US support for the brutal Uzbek President, Islam Karimov

issue 21 May 2005

The Kyrgyz-Uzbek border

To people in Central Asia, home to some of the most oppressive regimes in the world, President Bush’s inaugural speech in January was important. ‘When you stand for liberty, we will stand with you,’ said Bush, and his words sounded very promising. Thirteen years after the collapse of the Soviet dictatorship, no country in Central Asia has yet held elections which could be described as even remotely free or fair.

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