Central Asia is central to Eurasian security despite its seeming remot
eness. Blessed with natural riches, it nevertheless has two wars in pr
ogress, ethnic and religious tensions, a limited amount of democracy,
and far to go in development. Whether Central Asia consolidates its in
dependence or slides into chaos will help determine whether Russia dev
elops as a normal nation free from regional insecurities and imperial
longings. Uzbekistan maybe an island of stability and a potential anch
or.