Book Description

The United States needs to refocus its instruments of power to the Caspian Sea region in support of the evolving nation-states in that area. This region, made up of Central Asia and the Caucasus, is rich in natural resources and history, and a vast range of nationalities and languages are represented there. White House consideration of the region is well articulated in both the Clinton and George W. Bush Administrations' National Security Strategies. Assessment of the White House's diplomatic, economic, and military actions over the past few years is critical to determine what security assistance should be provided to deter regional internal and external threats. This paper examines these actions in light of current events and concludes with recommendations for U.S. assistance to ease the region's security integration into the international scene. U.S. leadership must expand its understanding of this region's rich natural resources, current threats to nation-state existence both internally and externally, and the current and future risks to its people. An external security analysis examines the interests of Russia, Iran, and China in the Caspian Sea region. Overviews are provided of the area's economy and its natural resources of oil, natural gas, and freshwater. During the invasion of Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, U.S. forces and their equipment were allowed entry into Georgia, Uzbekistan (Hanabad Airbase) and Kyrgyzstan (Manas International Airport) as they moved towards their objectives in Afghanistan. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld dispatched U.S. soldiers to Georgia to assist the local army as they located and neutralized terrorists in the Pankisi Gorge area. U.S. military instructors are training around 2,000 Georgians over the next 18 months. The author concludes that, without a more permanent U.S. commitment to the peoples of this region, a regional struggle to gain natural and refined energy resources may lead to a series of territorial wars. (34 ref7.