ABSTRACT
The successful US power projection on a global scale in Central Asia after 9/11 raises new crucial issues for American policy makers. While much has been said, often critically, about American global power aspirations, and the US presence in Central Asia as a part of a "global great power game" that includes Russia and China as key players, the reality is quite different. Prior to 9/11, the US presence in Central Asia was modest. While the US may maintain some presence in the arena in the future, it will be only one of a much larger concert of powers, each with its own ties, clients and agendas. The US is not about to dominate Central Asia anytime soon. This chapter argues that beyond the immediate pressure of military hostilities, US interests in the post-Soviet Central Asia (defined as the five former Soviet republics, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan) are and will remain limited.
