Despotism Doesn’t Equal Stability

The recent ousting of Kyrgyz President Bakiyev exposed the instability of today’s ex-Soviet oil-rich Central Asian nations. Western countries, as well as the nearby giants of Russia and China, have a history of sustaining the repressive rule of communist-era chiefs in order to shore up their own interests in the region. This approach may end up working against them as the corrupt regimes they propped up are overthrown by an angry populace unwilling to forget such leaders’ support of the oppressors. If the West loses its political traction in Kyrgyzstan, it could lose key strategic positioning for fighting the Afghan insurgency, and in its larger-scale wars on terrorism and drugs. US investment remains one of Kyrgyzstan’s major sources of income, and it is unlikely that the new leaders will take an anti-Western stance. In the future, however, the US stands to benefit from investment in stable, popular democracies in Central Asia. It is both the right and strategic thing to do. – YaleGlobal