CA news catch-up at last

Bit of a bitty week, all things considered. For news from Uzbekistan, check out Registan.net.

Regional

• The US has apparently got a strategy for Central Asia based on security (an ever-illusive term), energy and regional economic cooperation, according to Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia. The report on Washington File notes that Kazakhstan is seen as the potential new regional leader, subject to the results of the forthcoming presidential elections, and the US remains optimistic regarding Kyrgyzstan's prospects:

“We believe Kyrgyzstan stands on the threshold of a new era of stability,
provided its leaders can consolidate the steps toward democracy emerging from
last March’s ‘Tulip Revolution..."

• Meanwhile the precise balance on the US strategy is the subject of discussion over at Voice of America, noting the closely linked nature of the US's pro-democracy and energy policies in the region.
• Continuing revolution fever is a BBC article on changes in former Soviet republics over the last year or so that argues optimistically (and even after Andijan) for the continuing rise of people power in the republics. On a similar theme, Monsters and Critics has an article wondering how long Central Asia's remaing "strong men" can last.

Kazakhstan

• Gazeta.kz has an interesting article entitled "A Loud Echo of the Kyrgyz Revolution" arguing that Kazakhstan has underestimated the influence of Bishkek and Tashkent have on events in Kazakhstan, focusing instead on the influence of international actors such as Russia, the US and China, and considering the possible economic effects of further unrest in Kyrgyzstan.
• Meanwhile Russian expert Aleksei Malashenko reckons that a Colour Revolution in Kazakhstan is unfeasible, according to Gazeta.kz, partly on semantic grounds and partly because of economic development. I'm tempted to reserve judgement at the moment.
• Not that Kazakhstan had been discussed much as a potential new host for a US base, but nonetheless the US has helpfully issued a statement denying any plans to locate a new base in the republic. So there you go...

Kyrgyzstan

• Getting people blogging on the New Eurasia Kyrgyzstan Blog is proving slow going (if you want to join the blog team, drop me a line!), so I'm continuing to post Kyrgyzstani news over there for the time being.

Tajikistan

• Igor Rotar, writing for Eurasia Daily Monitor, reports on the extremist religious organization Bayat and allegations of its continuing activity in Isfarinsky district (Ferghana Valley) of the republic.
• Meanwhile Tajikistan's Islamic Party is unhappy with a ban on wearing headscarves in secular schools in the country, calling it unacceptable. The ban was announced by the Education Minister on October 19 in the interests of ensuring the secularity of schools, reports the Iranian Quran News Agency.

Reports, newsletters, etc.

• AlertNet's Central Asia Weekly Newswrap (Nov 4) is available.
• RFE/RL's Central Asia Report Vol 5, No. 42 (Nov 3) is available.
• IWPR's Reporting Central Asia No. 418 is available.