The ongoing American military presence in Afghanistan underscores the evident US willingness to broaden the campaign against terrorism. Regional powers in Central Asia, especially Iran, have been disconcerted by US rhetoric. At the same time, regional rivals appear to have few means at their disposal to prevent the United State from implementing its anti-terrorism plans.
The United States is quickly building up its military capacity in Central Asia, and soon could be in position to back tough words with actions. The US air force has established a presence at Afghan bases in Baghram and Kandahar, as well as at Hanabad in Uzbekistan and at Manas in Kyrgyzstan. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. These facilities can help the US military quickly establish air superiority throughout Central Asia, and even into the Middle East. At the same time, Tehran is concerned that it is becoming surrounded by secular regimes from Turkey to Azerbaijan to Afghanistan, regimes that may provide a different development model for Iran, which is grappling with widespread unemployment among young people. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archives.]
Not only are Iran's leaders concerned over the US buildup, so are officials in Russia and China. Indeed, some Russian generals now blame Russian President Vladimir Putin for "losing" Central Asia. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archives.]
US President George W Bush has signaled to the international community that Washington reserves the right to extend the war on terrorism to other countries. Iran, Iraq and North Korea were the three "names named" by Bush in his State of the Union address in late January as future potential targets in the campaign against terrorism. "Even 7,000 miles away, across oceans and continents, on mountaintops and in caves, you will not escape the justice of this nation," Bush said in his address.
Bush did not declare war on these states, but warned them: "My hope is that all nationals will heed our call, and eliminate the terrorist parasites who threaten their countries and our own."
While the harshest words in Bush's State of the Union were reserved for Saddam Hussein's Iraq, the language on Iran was unambiguous: "Iran aggressively pursues
Editor's note:
Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow in Russian and Eurasian Studies at The Heritage Foundation.
