ABSTRACT
This chapter elaborates true danger in the war on terror is best defined by the more subtle categorization of areas that remain in shadow: neither governed nor controlled, with allegiance to no state in particular, these areas act like a no-man's-land ideal for terror groups. The Ferghana Valley is not dangerous because groups there will inevitably overthrow Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek authority and form their own Islamic state, though this could be possible. The chapter attests to the fact that in spite of oppressive regimes the Ferghana Valley has remained such a place and if anything has become even more optimal since 9/11. The Ferghana Valley is an area quite rich in history that remains a controversial subject in academic circles. Today it is rather easy to find diametrically opposed viewpoints regarding the valley. The chapter explains what has worked in the valley for preventing ethnic violence does not automatically equate to what is necessary to prevent a rise in Islamic fundamentalism.
