Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is hoping to negotiate with the exiting NATO coalition of Armed forces as they plan the tactical withdrawal from the long waged war in Afghanistan. Being a bordering nation, it could serve as another point of departure for the approximately 80,000 US and 15,000 foreign troops who plan to make a nearly complete exit from the Middle East by 2014. In offering itself as another point of departure, Uzbekistan, would join Pakistan, Afghani bases like Kabul, Kandahar and other Middle Eastern countries like Iraq as a place for mobilizing the enormity of supplies brought in during the thirteen years of occupation. In return for facilitating NATO access through it’s country, Uzbekistan hopes to receive any unwanted, second hand military equipment such as tanks, helicopters, firepower, humvees or other armored supplies that are often left behind or returned home to salvage yards.
Additional service that the nation proposes to offer towards the NATO effort is ongoing monitoring assistance and a base for any future reserve of western forces to coordinate missions from. Attaining another allied site for promoting stability in the region could provide a benefit to the overall situation as the US continues to question the capability of the Afghan government and it’s army to effectively exert power against the resilient Taliban. The US having been substantially reliant on Pakistan as the nearest regional partner has proven troublesome to say the least. The anti-American sentiment held by many of the country’s Islamic faithful has posed repeated difficulty for Pakistani leaders acquiescing to the demands that the United States has made over the years despite our billions of dollars in assistance.
Uzbekistan has kept a mostly neutral stance throughout the war effort in Afghanistan. Among it’s third world conditions of nearly inhabitable rough, rocky terrain, development in roads and railways has nonetheless been available from the decades of Soviet occupation that ended in 1989. This outdated yet pliable infrastructure could mean that the transport of approximately 70,000 military vehicles and 120,000 shipping containers may be a worthwhile option for hastening NATO’s withdrawal.
The record of Uzbekistan’s recognition as a trusted nation however is questionable as it has until just recently been on the list of prohibited countries for western governments to engage in arms trades with. Incidents of prisoner torture from a decade ago and one of the lowest world rankings on the list of corruption indices has precluded diplomacy with most major powers. But having initiated talks about the notion of providing access and support has led to reconsideration of the impoverished nation’s state of affairs and the US's stance on taking a more cooperative position with them.
Common upon leaving a heavily entrenched war zone is the abandonment of unnecessary supplies like old armored vehicles or containers that pose a greater cost to transport than just simply leaving behind. Uzbekistan’s interest has not only been in acquiring large defense material but also anything else intended to be discarded such as mine detectors, night vision, surveillance and decommissioned weapons. It’s current reliance on technologically outdated equipment from trade with Russia is limiting in offering an adequate stockpile of defense supplies. Additionally, a US coalition would provide greater protection for Uzbekistan against neighboring Kyrgyzstan who recently agreed to a billion dollar import agreement for Russian manufactured defense supplies.