Anatol Lieven on Central Asia, in a source that passes your smell test. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav082101.shtml Lovely place for oppositionists. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/rights/articles/eav072701a.shtml Volume published by M.E.Sharpe. (Website has a memorium to Howard Fast!) They took over publishing, "Problems of Post-Communism, " previously called, "Problems of Communism, " when put out by the USG. Looked at the current issue @ Borders, yesterday. Good piece, " Beyond the Transitology-Area Studies Debate, " A combination of area studies and comparative social science approaches leads to rich studies of the transition to democracy. By Steven Saxonberg and Jonas Linde Rating the Sloba Show: Will Justice Be Served? Slobodan Milosevic's appearance before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at The Hague is being watched closely by human rights activists, jurists, and Serbs alike. By Eric Gordy. Gonna sniff at their editorial board? Valerie Bunce, used to publish in The Insurgent Sociologist, the rad left journal of the Radicals and Marxists in the ASA. (On nationalities in the fSU, btw, you ever read leftist Ronald Grigor Suny? Or former PCF French Communist Helene Carrere d'Encausse? Another former PCF member, though one who remained a marxist, I've found quite good is Maxine Rodinson esp. his books on Islam. Al-Saqi Books in London an Arab left press publishes his books in translation. "Islam and the Myth of Confrontation, " by Fred Halliday, published by them is good. A chapter of it is reprinted in Halliday's book on 9-11, "Two Hours That Shook The World.")I cite the stuff I've read from college onwards about the fSU. You just backbite and never mention what you've read.) Editorial Board Valerie J. Bunce, Cornell University; Miguel A. Centeno, Princeton University; Daniel Chirot, University of Washington-Seattle; William Fierman, Indiana University; Paul R. Gregory, University of Houston; Leslie Holmes, University of Melbourne; Rasma Karklins, University of Illinois- Chicago; Susan J. Linz, Michigan State University; James R. Millar, George Washington University (Chairman); Norman M. Naimark, Stanford University; Peter Reddaway, George Washington University; Blair A. Ruble, Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian; Studies; Gale Stokes, Rice University; Martin Whyte, George Washington University; Sharon Wolchik, George Washington University; William Zimmerman, University of Michigan Back to Eurasianet... http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/culture/articles/eav060801.shtml Ahmed Rashid who wrote, "Taliban, " that was what I was looking for. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav040301.shtml
All the nations of Central Asia and Caucasia must tackle the dismantling of the system imposed by the Soviet Union, and the establishment of the political and economic systems they require as independent nations. The basic indices relating to education, health care and social services are generally high in comparison with other so-called developing nations. However, since independence, the inefficiencies of the planned economic system that was applied during the Soviet Union era, the dilapidation of facilities and machinery, inadequate maintenance control, insufficient energy and the loss of markets due to the collapse of the Soviet economic zone, have led to chaos across their societies and economies. A priority for these countries is therefore to establish systems and structures appro- priate for their status as truly independent nations...
radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with its former defense industries and test ranges throughout the country pose health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe in some cities; because the two main rivers which flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices
oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel, tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials Industrial production growth rate: 11.4% (2001 est.)
significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS markets, as well as limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrine); limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of Europe
http://www.uskba.net/about_economy.htm Financing: At the end of December 1999, the International Monetary fund approved a $453 million loan to support a program of economic reform until 2002 and praised the government's "commitment to achieve macroeconomic stabilization and accelerate structural reforms." Kazakhstan repaid the IMF loan ahead of schedule in 2000. Other loan agreements totaled $550 million with World Bank and $160 million with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to develop a number of critical industries, including the telecommunications, rail, and power sectors. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been steadily increasing its financial commitments to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan also successfully placed a $225 million Eurobond issue in September 1999, first among former Soviet states after the Russian crisis. http://www.angelfire.com/wi/kazakhstanelumin/kazakreport.html