The Limits of Friendship: Us Security Cooperation in Central Asia

This research paper explores the history of US security cooperation programs in Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, from 1993 to the present, identifying five distinct phases of development as those programs sought to achieve US objectives in denuclearization and proliferation prevention, democratization and military reform, regional cooperation, and improving military capabilities. The author elaborates on the limiting factors, successes, and a failure associated with those efforts and then makes recommendations for the future of US security cooperation in Central Asia in the future.